Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/661564
THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL | 15 www.datacenterjournal.com nimble facilities that can respond to ever changing demands. PartnershiP With the Business At best, it seems that data centers are viewed as an important business enabler and, at worst, a necessary piece of over- head costs. Forward-looking companies will position their data centers as critical business assets, allowing customers to conduct business or leisure activities faster than ever and to do so for years to come. Other C-level executives, including the CFO, must join the conversation. A good design-build team at this stage can help develop solutions that align with to- day's business needs and are adaptable for the foreseeable future, even allowing room for solutions that have yet to be conceived. For example, we worked with a major North American telecommunications company starting at a very early stage of the process. We worked with the owner, architect, engineer and manufacturers to create and build a highly flexible and ef- ficient facility that can easily be expanded for future demands. is effort took a client who was open to trying something new and to using new technologies and building practices. at sort of thinking is the difference between a few million dollars' worth of upgrades over a decade and tens of mil- lions to quickly deploy brand-new facili- ties and infrastructure. Again, approach- ing construction in this manner takes a different perspective and a higher level of trust with designers and contractors. e willingness to try a new approach lends itself to better collaboration and commu- nication that will deliver the best results for every stakeholder. Ultimately, using this approach, data facilities will evolve and operate more efficiently and will allow for flexibility with future expansions. Instead of hoping for a 20-year facility, we can aim for a 40-year facility. Over time, maybe data centers will be more like airports: occupying the same footprint for generations and making the upgrades needed to serve new generations of customers. n about the author: Mike Silla is SVP for the Mission Critical Center of Excellence at Skanska USA. 2016 Spring ConferenCe end-To-end reliabiliTy: MiSSion CriTiCal faCiliTieS June 5-8, 2016 Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, FL marquis Partner silver Partners media Partners ConferenCe Keynote: on the edge: the art of high-impact leadership alison levine First American Women's Everest Expedition Team Captain www.7x24exchange.org 2016 sPrinG ConferenCe CorPorate leadershiP ProGram Partners (at press time) Gold Partners 16SP DCJ_STD_8375w525_2fxgrx_DCJ Half page ad 2/26/16 3:52 PM Page 1