Category: Blog

We've seen software-defined networking (SDN) deliver a lot of value over the last couple of years. It's allowed mobile carriers and other networks to deliver new opportunities to the end user, and provided a means to stand out from competitors. Since there is commonly a lot of competition in mobile and network operations, those distinguishing features are often worth quite a bit of business. As it turns out, SDN has delivered plenty of value for data center operations too, and is becoming a … [Read more...]

Data centers offer no shortage of value, even in the age of the cloud. Data centers can be used as backup systems, as a means to protect and analyze data, or even as a profit center, providing cloud-based services to other firms. However, a data center takes a lot of power to run. A U.S. Department of Energy study finds that data centers account for 2% of all electrical consumption in the United States. (1) That puts all your new, hard-won profits and cost savings at risk of being shoved in an … [Read more...]

It's a great time to be a third-party maintenance (TPM) provider, or a user of such providers. With new reports suggesting that more businesses are turning to TPM, it's time to look at just what's behind all the growth.What's Driving Growth in the Third-Party Maintenance Field?A combination of several reasons have produced a perfect storm of growth potential.Third-party firms are winning customer service. A Forrester study found that three out of four IT managers were going to third-party … [Read more...]

For the six months hurricane season comprises, businesses remain on edge. This year especially has proven devastating and relentless. But with the right preparations and planning, the data center can offer some protection against this hypothetical, but all too possible, natural threat.How Can Data Centers Provide a Business With Hurricane Disaster Recovery?A data center can provide businesses with a level of hurricane disaster recovery that will allow for ongoing operations fairly … [Read more...]

Between the new options the Internet of Things (IoT) will provide, and the basic principles it will change, the IoT's operations will make data centers both more efficient and more effective. It won't be all sunshine and improved efficiencies, though, as there will also be challenges to the data center around this new development.How Will the IoT Improve Data Centers?The IoT offers an incredible potential for improvement in the data center.New data collection. The IoT's array of sensors can be … [Read more...]

Thanks to the steady growth of cloud-based systems, the Internet of Things, and other factors, the data center is fast becoming one of the most valuable parts of a business. It also has many businesses thinking about expansion -- but where to expand is the operative question. Some locations are better than others, so it's important to keep the following considerations in mind.What Should I Look for in Potential Data Center Locations?Opening a new data center requires examination of several … [Read more...]

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents major changes in technology, altering the landscape in ways we can't fully understand as yet. The data center in particular is impacted by these changes, and will face both benefits and challenges as proliferation of the IoT continues. Here's what's ahead for the data center in the new world of the IoT.The Internet of Things Brings BenefitsThe IoT will create value for the data center in a number of ways:Improved control. Data centers typically require a … [Read more...]

Looking closely at data warehousing reveals a wealth of new possibilities and potential concerns. Knowing not only what it is but what you need for it is vital to getting the most out of data warehousing.What Is Data Warehousing?Data warehousing is the practice of storing a business's data in one central location. A data warehouse can't just be one five-terabyte hard drive located centrally. It needs to meet a few key criteria to be considered a proper warehouse:Secure. A data warehouse … [Read more...]

Think your hardware has reached end of life (EOL) because the OEM says so? Think again. Not all hardware that appears to be facing EOL actually is. Third-party maintenance is a possible solution for hardware that seems to have reached its end. … [Read more...]

Data centers are a vital, yet new, part of everyday business operations. That means they're not often completely understood, even by CIOs who are expected to know the most. Three simple points can help form a basic understanding of the data center.What Can Data Centers Do?CIOs need to understand just what a data center can do in order to get the most out of it.Data centers store and disseminate information. You've likely heard of data silos, where only one department has access to the … [Read more...]