What are the key benefits of an IT optimize solution provided by a colocation/managed services provider?
Optimize enables an IT organization to focus on meaningful, strategically important IT initiatives and better utilize available IT budgets. This holistic approach allows the organization to spend time innovating the systems, processes and procedures that improve operational efficiencies and drive hard dollars to a company’s bottom line, which not only simplifies the conversation between the business and technology leaders, but also improves the overall reliability of the infrastructure.
How can an IT optimize solution ease the burden of the capital investment required to adopt the latest data center technologies?
IT optimize eliminates the capital burden altogether. This cost is shifted over to a predictable monthly expense that encompasses all costs for the technology — from initial acquisition to ongoing support. On top of the server, hypervisor and operating system costs, the optimize profile has the potential to eliminate all of the big-ticket items typically found within the SME infrastructure, including Storage Area Network (SAN) and data protection platforms.
Many firms are dabbling in virtual servers, but managed virtualization is different. How?
The big difference, aside from the subject matter expertise that comes along with the service provider offering (24-7-365 access to more than one expert) has to do with the way the costs are structured. Off the shelf, the hypervisor software often costs as much as the hardware costs. The optimize profile reduces the economic stair function associated with scaling out virtual machine infrastructure. This allows for managing capacity based on actual resource utilization as opposed to the need for avoiding uncomfortable conversations with the CFO.
How can firms that are hesitant to turn over ownership and management of their IT infrastructure pick the right partner?
Many organizations think they give up strategic control of their operation if they don’t own the hardware. This simply doesn’t have to be the case. Here is a short list of tips for picking the right partner:
- Ensure there is rapport. IT professionals should want to engage your team members, inherently supporting the transfer of knowledge that makes the IT organization stronger.
- The adoption of services should not be adversely disruptive. If you have to change every process and procedure in the book, it’s probably not a good fit.
- Maintain control. Engaging a service provider isn’t about giving up control but changing the perspective from tactical to strategic.
- Don’t make your decision based solely on the lowest bid. Consider all costs variables to understand the implications of selecting a particular partner.
Don Goodwin is the executive vice president of sales and marketing at Latisys. Reach him at [email protected].
