(9-Jan-2012) Brian Burch knew the moment had arrived. Two of his data center's key services -- availability and business continuity -- needed fast and dramatic improvement. Design and location limitations meant that his company's existing data...

Solution Set

Make an apples-to-apples comparison of European co-location providers to select the most appropriate option for the organization's current and future needs.

Tool

Identify leading candidates in the European Co-location/Managed Services market using the Info-Tech European Co-location/Managed Services Vendor Shortlist Tool to generate a customized shortlist of vendors based on your key priorities.

Note

Info-Tech evaluated nine competitors in the European co-location/managed services market. Create a shortlist of vendors that suit the organization's need using Info-Tech's European co-location/managed services Vendor Landscape.

Tool

Identify leading candidates in the US Co-location/Managed Services market using Info-Tech's Vendor Shortlist Tool to generate a customized shortlist of vendors based on your key priorities.

Note

The US co-location/managed services market has over 430 vendors providing similar offerings. Create a shortlist of vendors that suit the organization's need using Info-Tech's vendor landscape.

Solution Set

This vendor landscape looks at the US co-location/managed services market in order to provide recommendations on which vendors are most suitable for your organization's needs.

Solution Set

This vendor landscape looks at the Canadian co-location market in order to provide recommendations on which vendors are most suitable for their organization.

Note

Enterprise use cases provide valuable insight for the vendor selection process. In the Canadian co-location/managed services market, attention should be paid to the vendor's offerings in terms of cost, the organization's present and future...

Tool

This tool allows enterprises to profile their Canadian Co-location Providers' requirements and generate a rank ordered vendor shortlist from a fixed list of vendors.

Note

North American organizations managing a global WAN for the first time are presented with strategic decisions and options never experienced before. Bringing a global network infrastructure into a working state is different than deploying a WAN...

Solution Set

IT leaders must create a strategy and assess the options presented when bringing the global network infrastructure into a working state.

Tool

One of the first steps in preparing for global network deployment is to gather a list of all inventories. A comprehensive inventory of applications and infrastructure at all global facilities is essential to determining what needs to be...

Tool

A complete assessment and evaluation of all management model options should be conducted before deploying the global network to ensure it is done right the first time. Examine in-house, and hosted options to determine the best fit for the enterprise.

Note

Development leaders are jumping on the Agile bandwagon in droves based on the promise of success, shorter timelines, higher productivity, and greater client satisfaction; but are they really getting everything that has been promised?

Solution Set

Organizations that encounter significant capital expenditures, when building or updating their aging data center facilities. As a result, they are faced with a difficult build vs. buy decision.

Note

The decision to co-locate all or part of the data center facility can be a risky one. Because the decision to build vs. buy is essentially one of cost, IT decision makers must put in the time and effort in requirements gathering, determining the...

Template/Policy

Vendor co-location site visits can validate decisions or uncover vendor inadequacies and biases. Conduct site visits to shortlisted data center co-location vendors to add another layer of due diligence to the final vendor selection.

Tool

When the organization has received completed proposals back from co-location vendors, a common scoring method should be used to compare and evaluate each proposal. Implement a common scoring method into evaluation processes to determine a...

Template/Policy

Organizations in the selection process for a co-location vendor should issue an RFP to gather required information from vendors and make an informed decision. After finalizing selection criteria that is relevant to the organization's needs, use...

(16-Feb-10) Vancouver-based infrastructure services provider Peer 1 is launching its flagship data centre in Toronto later this spring and will be the first of the company's global facilities to offer co-location, managed hosting and dedicated...

Video

Many organizations are assessing the business case for outsourcing their data centers. This videocast explores the various drivers including building costs, outsourcing costs, and strategic implications.

Organizations planning to build or refresh the data center should consider the build versus buy decision in the planning phase. This decision requires careful examination and evaluation of options involving asset inventories, facility...

Enterprises can significantly reduce costs by implementing a server room co-location strategy. Cost savings center on power, cooling, and avoidance of capital expenditures. Enterprises considering building or refreshing the server room should...

Enterprises entering the selection process for a co-location vendor should not only consider services offered by the vendor, but also the vendor's customer engagement practices. Ensure business practices align by establishing a set of criteria...

Enterprises evaluating co-location vendors must sort through a commoditized market of basic services. Whether or not IT plans to invest in recovery services provided by the vendor, these capabilities should still be assessed before choosing a...

Basic services offered by server room co-location vendors represent a commodity in the market. In order to differentiate vendor offerings, IT must first establish a set of criteria that focuses and narrows the search. Choose criteria relevant to...

When a shortlist of co-location vendors has been determined, IT must complete an additional key step in due diligence that includes validating vendor claims and following up with site visits to each potential location. Be prepared to confirm...

Template/Policy

Organizations looking for a co-location vendor should issue a RFP in order to gather the required information from vendors and make an informed decision. After finalizing selection criteria that is relevant to the organization's needs, use this...

Template/Policy

Organizations that have determined a shortlist of co-location vendors (likely after the RFP process) should conduct additional due diligence before making the final decision. Vendor co-location site visits can validate decisions or uncover...