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The movie “Tommy Boy” once described a warranty, derisively, as being like a bit of peace of mind on cardboard. While “Tommy Boy” chose to instead emphasize the integrity of the manufacturer to make good on faulty products, the rest of us know that that guarantee, that warranty, is worth its weight in keeping people honest. What happens when that warranty runs out? If you're running a data center, good hardware maintenance may be all that stands between that expired … [Read more...]

The notion of building a data center from the ground up is a heady one. The magnitude of the task is then joined by the sheer difficulty of it; factoring in all the changes that have happened so far. How does one build a data center that's ready for all of tomorrow's changes, some of which haven't even been invented yet?How Can I Build My Data Center with Scalability in Mind?Building a scalable data center requires the combination of a lot of planning, a little insight, and some of the best … [Read more...]

For those running a data center these days, you know how important it is to your overall business. It handles all that raw data that a wide variety of departments needs, not to mention any customer-facing applications going on. The rise of the Internet of Things, however, may be leaving you scratching your head. There are benefits to this new technology, as well as risks, that can fundamentally impact your data center.What Benefits Does IoT Offer Data Centers?The IoT can deliver a wide range of … [Read more...]

To say that the data center faces a wide variety of threats every day is almost self-evident. Between ransomware, viruses, and data breaches, it's easy to forget about the threats that aren't considered. One major threat that often goes without notice is the Internet of Things (IoT), a powerful emerging system of technologies that means plenty of value for users, but one that poses a lot of risks as well.What Risk Does the IoT Pose to the Data Center?While the IoT has delivered plenty of value … [Read more...]

A whole host of hardware products have reached End of Service Life (EOSL) between the end of 2017 and now, with many set to lose support in 2018. What's the best way to prepare for EOSL? It may be time to consider third-party maintenance. … [Read more...]

A Dilbert strip once featured the Pointy-Haired Boss declaring to Dilbert that, from now on, Dilbert was to use open source for everything, as it was free. Dilbert, alarmed, then turned to Alice for help, and the duo returned to the boss with a demand for him to hand over the trade publication, so that no one had to get hurt. Open source looks great on the surface—it's free!—but it doesn't come without issues of its own to consider, particularly in the data center.What Can Open … [Read more...]

We've seen a lot of changes over the last few years strike the data center, but none so substantial as the cloud. The cloud has struck the data center down to the bare walls. So what specific changes have impacted the data center in recent days? There's a lot more going on, both positive and negative, than you might think.What Changes Has the Cloud Made to the Data Center?Down to the bare walls. Thanks to the rise of cloud-based services, many purposes that could only be accomplished in an … [Read more...]

Normally, when businesses consider maintenance, they have two options. There's the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which offers some clear value when it comes to maintaining products, but there's also third-party management (TPM), which can offer value in its own right. Some, however, are beginning to wonder if the third path is best, a hybrid TPM / OEM path that seeks to provide the best of both worlds.What Are the Benefits of a Hybrid TPM / OEM Solution?The best part about a hybrid TPM … [Read more...]

If there's one thing that's been made abundantly clear the last few years, it's that data is the new lifeblood of business. Perhaps second only to cash, data means better sales and improved operations. That kind of value comes with a price, and that price is data storage. What's coming up in the data storage market for 2018? Knowing the answer to this question might help businesses get more out of that valuable asset.What's in the Future for Data Storage?The landscape is constantly changing in a … [Read more...]

In 1975, researchers from Harvard and the University of Illinois set users to watch a recording, counting the number of bounce passes basketball teams engaged in. Out of nowhere, a visitor in a full gorilla suit walked through one recording. When asked, most did not even notice the gorilla, despite watching closely. Sometimes, we get the same way, even when choosing a third-party maintenance provider. We get so focused on some things, we miss the obvious. So knowing what to look for in the best … [Read more...]