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Which Data Centre maintenance structure is right for your business

Owning a Data Centre or having an internal server room onsite can be a fact of life for enterprises of all sizes. As companies grow and budgets evolve, the question of whether to keep this function in-house or outsource its management to experts becomes even more complicated.

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Maintaining Data Centre operations in a pandemic

Even though the current trend of moving to the cloud seems to be the way forward, it isn’t a viable solution for everyone. Depending on your business needs, getting the balance right between a combination of both internal and external data centre services can be an effective alternative, and can deliver excellent value for money. IT managers in dynamic enterprises are struggling with rapid expansion, shortage of physical space, outdated IT systems, the pressure to cut costs and existing IT systems being stretched to their limits. At the same time, the challenges every company faces are unique. There is no universal solution, so IT teams need to assess what answer works best for their particular situation. Which brings us to the big question: Should Data Centre functions be kept in-house, or outsourced to a Data Centre expert? Let’s take a deeper look at the pros and cons of each option.

In-house Data Centre maintenance

Having an in-house data centre or server room onsite means you have a self-contained data centre. Therefore, all cooling, power and backup, bandwidth, and security requirements are monitored and managed by your own team.

The Good

Ownership – As the sole manager, you can modify, manage and expand as you see fit
Customisable security – You can monitor access and implement changes as needed
Onsite hardware – Your team has convenient access for maintenance and troubleshooting
Control – You have full access to your critical data
Licensing costs – No unexpected surprises

The Bad

• Responsibility – All infrastructure and Data Centre management duties fall to the in-house team
• Operational costs – You have to bear infrastructure and operational costs on an ongoing basis
• Staff overheads – You will need more staff to maintain the IT infrastructure
• More hours – With the increased workload of running a Data Centre, staff will spend more time on IT maintenance
• Competencies – Internal staff won’t have the expertise or knowledge of the DC experts
• Monitoring – Critical infrastructure is not monitored to the level that DC experts can provide in detecting problems
• Standardisation – larger companies with a series of data centres, result with no set of standards for operation

"Data centres require increasingly costly resources to operate, to ensure efficiency in energy, technology and skilled personnel, is keeping it in-house the right choice?"

Two Data Centre Team Members Discussing In Data Centre

Outsourced Data Centre maintenance

Data Centre maintenance outsourcing is when you have a team of DC specialists who go beyond the traditional management of a data centre. It now includes design, operation, testing, monitoring and support of your data centre – all within your
four walls.

The Good

Reduced costs – Benefits of buying strength through reputable vendors
Less hassle – A sole provider will offer better internet connectivity and pricing options
Maximised uptime – There will be options to utilise redundant internet and power connections, which will help maximise uptime
Offsite backup – Mirrored data centres for disaster recovery purposes available to minimise operations impact and downtime
Enhanced security – Enhanced security features available
Tech support – Depending on your requirements, dedicated onsite technical experts will be available to resolve any issues
Tracking and Reporting – Critical infrastructure is regularly tracked and monitored to avoid wasted operational costs and potential downtime
Audits – Detailed audits carried out to identify any potential issues
Service desk support – 24/7 Australian based support
Growth-ready – Expansion options available

The Bad

Limited access – Access needs to be granted for outsourced DC experts
Loss of Control – Trust is placed in external staff and no longer sits with internal employees
Downtime – Troubleshooting and scheduled maintenance times are required
Compliance – Meeting regulation standards remains the responsibility of business, not Data Centre, experts
Accountability – Responsibility and answerability lies with the business, not the Data Centre provider when due diligence is not practised
Cost – Operational costs lie with the data centre owner

"Getting the balance right between a combination of both internal and external data centre services can deliver excellent value
for money."

Data Centre Team Member Bending Down At Work

Each option has its own strengths and drawbacks, but ultimately when considering how best to meet your organisation’s data centre needs, it is essential that a full range of factors are considered.

If you would like further information on what to consider when evaluating your business requirements, and how best to tailor a solution that is right for you, get in touch for a consultation with The Interactive Data Centre Team.

With Interactive, you can retain your internal data centre or server room on-site. However, you also benefit, from the efficiencies, knowledge and experience of our data centre experts.

Learn more about Data Centre Care or Talk to an expert now.