Digital News and Review

When you are design or revising your data center structure, there is a lot to consider. You must decide how much processing power and storage you need to begin with, and ensure that the solution’s scalability guarantees that you will never outgrow it. You will have the processing power, the storage area and the throughput that you need to get your work done, in the present and in the future, if you pay attention to the details up front.

Whether you do the work yourself or contract it out, there is a great deal of high-tech expertise involved. It is important that you stay current on the technology and the procedures, as they are constantly changing. Nothing stays the same except change, so be prepared to review your data center operations at least monthly.

Level 3: Concurrent Maintainability

According to The Uptime Institute, which developed the tiered classification approach to site infrastructure and established a common benchmarking standard, a Level 1 data center is susceptible to disruption from both planned and unplanned activity. This is because there is just a single path for power and cooling, without redundant components.

Level 2 facilities with redundant components are somewhat less susceptible to such disruptions, with their raised floors, UPS devices (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and generators. But there is still a single-wired distribution path throughout, meaning that maintenance of the critical power path and other parts of the site infrastructure will require a system shutdown.

Level 3 facilities allow planned site infrastructure activities without interrupting computer hardware operation; this is called concurrent maintainability. There must be enough capacity to simultaneously carry the load on one path while testing or repairing the other. In this way, preventive maintenance, component repair/replacement and system tests can be performed without a service interruption. According to The Uptime Institute, Level 3 facilities provide upwards of 99.982% availability.

Constant Monitoring
A reputable vendor can ensure that your company’s unique needs are fully met with a uniquely customized and dedicated server environment. The best firms monitor their servers 24/7 and upgrade them as necessary to prevent over-utilization or over-loading. Full server administration is provided, at no additional charge, by many of these top firms, and most are not afraid to give you a “maximum uptime guarantee” – just ask for details and you will even get in writing.

There are no shortcuts and you cannot afford to compromise. There are any number of firms whose people, products and services are first-rate, and the industry (and its equipment) is in a constant state of development and improvement. There are many, many vendors that continue to push the technology envelope to serve you and your company better, faster, more cost-effectively and with guaranteed security.

A scalable solution, one that is constantly monitored and continuously refined, is the goal for your data center. Doing your due diligence up front so as to ensure the selection of a trusted, capable vendor is extremely important. Reviewing your situation on a regular basis is also crucial. Don’t ever sign on to anything you don’t understand, so if you need some high-tech advice, get it from a trusted source before beginning any negotiations with service companies.

If you own or manage a computer services business, you may be wondering about how you can consistently find high-quality clients that build relationships and provide ongoing services revenue.

Many IT companies struggle to establish the right criteria to secure great client accounts. When you fail to have a consistent process for qualifying your leads, you will find yourself scrambling to get good clients and working way harder than you need in order to stabilize your computer services business. The following 4 lead qualification criteria can help you find more great clients all the time.

Proximity. A potential client for your computer services business needs to be geographically close to you. In most areas, this means within a 30-60-minute drive from your location. Proximity has an impact on the types of networking events you attend and everything else you do from a marketing perspective. Proximity will also be an important benefit to stress as you are building a long-term support contract plan. This way, you can build long-term relationships with your ongoing clients.

Size. Make sure with your computer services business that you are targeting potential clients with 10-50 PC’s … those that we call Sweet Spot Clients(TM). Basically, prospects have to be big enough that they need a real server. Typically, this level of investment is required once a small business reaches somewhere between 10-100 employees. You can also measure size in annual revenue. A good prospect for you will have $1 – 10 million in annual sales. Know all the details of prospect size because that information will help you with your marketing efforts, particularly when you plan direct mail campaigns.

Existing IT Assets. Most of the time your computer services business prospects will have their own e-mail domain. You will want to address how their users retrieve and send e-mails when meeting with them, because it’s going to be an important way to qualify them as good candidates for your services. Many times prospects will have a dedicated server, which will indicate that they have more serious IT needs and probably would be receptive to the solutions you offer.

Platform Match. If your expertise is in Microsoft Windows, will you be able to adequately and profitably support a potential client’s largely Mac-focused environment? As part of your lead qualification process, be sure to ask about predominant OS/NOS platform investments to make sure that you’re not embarking on an unsupportable-platform wild-good-chase. Or at the minimum, make sure you have a competent contractor or partner that can help to bridge any of your own company’s skills gaps.