Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/324708
20 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com We drive data center efficiency. Rack-to-row-to-room-to-building architecture lowers cost. Improving both efficiency and system uptime requires a second look at today's data centers! Featuring innovative and industry-leading physical infrastructure components, Schneider Electric ™ data centers uniquely span traditional IT "white space" and facilities to improve interoperability, deliver true data center agility, and achieve cost-saving energy and operational efficiency. Our integrated architecture also lowers total cost of ownership, enables fast and easy design and deployment, and promises the highest availability. It comprises best-of-breed components available from a single source and through a global supply and services chain. From our well-known APC InRow ™ cooling units…to our innovative EcoBreeze ™ facility cooling module with two economizer modes…to our unparalleled data center management software StruxureWare ™ for Data Centers, Schneider Electric products can be found literally in every data center domain. We offer the most energy-efficient components — all uniquely engineered as a system. In the long run, the Schneider Electric rack-to-row-to-room-to-building approach reduces total data center life cycle cost up to 13 percent and 30 percent of data center physical infrastructure cost over 10 years! In fact, it's the foundation of our Business-wise, Future-driven ™ data centers. ©2014 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, APC, Square D, InRow, EcoBreeze, StruxureWare, and Business-wise, Future-driven are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. www.schneider-electric.com • 998-1158241_GMA-US_Note3 Our innovative data center physical infrastructure with full-visibility management lowers operating costs. > EcoBreeze with Two Economizer Modes Only the scalable EcoBreeze automatically switches between air-to-air heat exchange and indirect evaporative cooling to maximize conditions year-round. > Data Center Facility Power Module Our modular, step-and-repeat approach to facility power lets you expand capacity in 500 kW increments as needed, cutting OpEx by up to 35 percent and CapEx from 10 to 20 percent. > StruxureWare for Data Centers With building-to-server visibility, StruxureWare for Data Centers enables you to make informed decisions about your physical infrastructure. > Reference Designs Our standardized architectures for various data center con gurations, from 200 kW to 20 MW, reduce time, cost, complexity, and system risk. > Data Center Life Cycle Services Including energy management services, professional services from planning, build/retro t, and operations help ensure highest system availability and ef ciency. Facility Power Module EcoBreeze with Two Economizer Modes StruxureWare for Data Centers Reference Designs StruxureWare for Business-wise, Future-driven. TM TM Get on the road to data center efficiency with our FREE white paper efficiency kit and enter to win a Samsung Galaxy Note ™ 3. Visit: www.SEreply.com Key Code: h760u Get on the road to data center efficiency with our win a Visit: DataCenterJournal_US_Jun_h760u.indd 1 04/17/2014 9:32:51 AM to work around operational parameters to meet unique needs. For example, a service provider should be available to execute un- scheduled maintenance if needed. Business and IT leadership should prioritize flexibil- ity when selecting their managed-hosting provider, and it is likely that flexibility will be critical for businesses to take advantage of managed services and cloud technology to meet their goals. An additional component to effec- tive customization is the right ecosystem of partners. Although it is crucial for a service provider to offer a comprehensive breadth of solutions, it is also important that it partner with other providers to offer increased flexibility, products and services to its customers. is robust framework of partner relationships must be governed by best practices to ensure the partners are operating as a cohesive entity and that the right people are in place to provide the right service to execute the custom solu- tion needed by each business. four: seCurity iMpleMenteD through a roBust infrastruCture anD operational faBriC An effective managed service pro- vider must have a sound, tested infrastruc- ture and operational fabric. As part of this operational fabric, it is important that a provider operate across geographies. If the service team and technology infrastruc- ture operate in a single area, they become susceptible to natural disasters and service interruptions, jeopardizing their abil- ity to ensure continuity and provide an uninterrupted level of service. A business should have the flexibility to architect and design its infrastructure with security and disaster-recovery elements across data centers and geographies. Some managed-service providers fall short when it comes to safeguarding their customer's infrastructure. ese providers may have a single data center with a single router—and if it fails, businesses are trou- ble. It is important for a managed-hosting provider to think about redundancy in all aspects of their service. A strong provider should offer a broad geographical range of services that businesses can use to scale and grow securely. To achieve a robust infrastructure, a service provider must embed security into every aspect of its operations. It should implement active intrusion detection and should have a dedicated competency to maximize security. is team should continuously monitor threats and ensure the macro security infrastructure is being optimized both physically and virtually and that each system is designed with redundancy at every level. A managed-hosting provider with a deep and comprehensive portfolio of solu- tions will be prepared to address concerns regarding security such as PCI and HIPAA compliance. e provider should be ready to design a HIPAA-compliant solution with security elements such as encryption in transit, encryption at rest and two- factor authentication. ese capabilities are of particular importance for customers working in regulated environments such as health care and financial services. Different customers run different levels of alerts and threats at varying intervals, and it's impor- tant for a provider to adapt to the needs of these specific customers. A data center's physical infrastruc- ture should be architected with safeguards including an uninterruptable power sup- ply, fire detection and suppression, flood control, and temperature control, including cooling and HVAC. ese physical security measures should guard against intrusion by using the most advanced alarms, intru- sion detection and biometric scanning. fiVe: the right-sizeD proViDer DeliVers ValuaBle personalization Finally, it is important for business and IT leaders to select a managed-service provider with whom they connect and can work with effectively. A key characteristic for selecting a service provider that will work over the long term is to identify a provider of the right scale. Although the breadth of service is important, if a smaller business were to select one of the largest service providers, it might not receive a high level of customer-centric, flexible and custom support. Conversely, if a business selects too small a provider, that provider may lack the scale and expertise to offer the necessary support. Managed-service providers should ensure their customers receive regular, personal attention. Having direct access to a senior member of the provider's manage- ment team through a direct email or cell phone can be a good measure of the degree of personal attention a customer is likely to receive. ConClusion In today's environment of increasing business complexity, IT and business lead- ers are oen turning to managed-hosting providers to help them scale operations. It is critical that businesses select a provider with a comprehensive suite of technologies that can be customized to securely meet their individual needs. When business and IT leaders take the time to vet and select a service provider of an appropriate scale that operates ac- cording to the highest levels of security, they can apply powerful cloud technology and managed-hosting services to optimize costs. Managed hosting allows businesses to shi from a capex model to an opex model and more effectively focus on their core competencies while deploying power- ful cloud technology to drive business growth. n about the author: As General Manager for NaviSite, a Time Warner Cable company, Sumeet Sabharwal is responsible for managing the overall performance of the NaviSite business and directing its long-term evolution. In addition, Sumeet also manages NaviSite's international operations across the U.K. and India. He has a strong operational background and record of delivering strong top- and bottom- line results in the cloud, Internet, IT services, and managed-services space. Sumeet joined Time Warner Cable from NaviSite, a pioneer in managed hosting and cloud computing, which was acquired by Time Warner Cable in 2011. Before the acquisition, Sumeet was senior VP, SMB and global delivery, at NaviSite and was responsible for leading and managing the SMB Cloud Services business unit. In addition, Sumeet also oversaw the company's global delivery operations. Previously, he was VP and managing director at Intrasphere, where he held responsibility for global operations. Before Intrasphere, Sumeet was VP and executive director at Sapient, where he launched and managed the company's global application outsourcing business.