Data Center Cost Reduction Methods – Ask the Engineer [VIDEO]
Ask the Engineer
Jack Kauter and Park Place Technologies Solutions Architect , Rob Roberts, discuss the question – “What Are the Best Data Center Cost Reduction Methods?” in this month’s Ask the Engineer.
You can learn more about IT cost reduction strategies here.
4 Data Center Cost Reduction Tips
Jack: Hi, guys. Jack here, and it’s time for another episode of Ask the Engineer. Joining me today is Solutions Architect at Park Place Technologies, Rob Roberts. Rob, how are you doing today?
Rob: Great Jack. How about yourself?
Jack: Very well, thank you. Rob, many of our clients are looking to save money in the data center to invest elsewhere, despite budgets being flat. Do you have any advice on how IT professionals can free up funds in their data center?
1. Avoid Upgrade/Refresh FOMO
Rob: Yeah, I do. The first way to maximize would be to not give in to FOMO (fear of missing out). The gear that you have, that you’ve already bought, if it’s working fine and you’re not running out of resources – don’t upgrade or refresh your gear. Enterprise-grade gear is usually built to last, and will do so for years past even the end of life dates. Just because you’re told you’re not on the latest and greatest, you’re probably not really missing out.
2. Perform Regular IT Hardware Maintenance
A second way, it’s going to be mundane like checking the batteries in your smoke detector, even though it’s boring, doing regular service on hardware can save you thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Especially if critical systems stop working because you’re just ignoring the really small, “soft” errors – I always like to say, “whine now, but don’t cry later.”
3. Keep Track of Renewal Dates
The third is keeping track of and keeping on your renewal dates. It’s a costly mistake and can be a real headache when you realize the auditor is coming to the building, and even if it’s not for compliance reasons, a lot of OEMs or software companies charge you, not only a reinstatement fee, but they’ll even charge you late fees for while you were still using the service when you didn’t have an active contract. That can really add up.
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Jack: Yeah, absolutely. Those are three top tips to be more economical. They’re all coming from different perspectives as well. Do you happen to have any other suggestions on how IT professionals can save money in the data center?
4. Consider Preowned IT Gear
Rob: Yeah, the last tip I would say is, just like with a new car will lose value as soon as you take it off the lot, IT gear is a lot like that. It depreciates in value as time goes by. Older gear never really gets faster, but there’s so much inherent value with buying preowned or even just one generation prior data center gear. It’s just as useful, and it’s honestly instant value.
Jack: Yeah, absolutely. Rob, I think I counted four tips in total there. Great stuff, thank you for sharing lots of information on a topic that’s relevant for a lot of people out there.
That’s all for now guys; if you’d like to suggest a question to one of our engineers, please feel free to reach out to us. For now, we’ll see you next time on Ask the Engineer.