4 Ways To Slash Data Center Expenses In Your Company

Posted on: 16 July 2015

In order to increase profits, you have to keep your expenses to a minimum. One way you can reduce your expenses as a business owner is to find ways to save money in your data center. Now is the time to start making changes to save money so you can use it to grow your profits or your business as a whole. Keep reading to learn about 4 things you can do to reduce expenses in your data center:

1. Hardware Rationalization

The Cambridge Business English Dictionary defines hardware rationalization as the process of using data to decide how a company or department buys and uses hardware, software, and other types of products and tools to ensure they are as effective as possible. A project like this can be large and may require help from several different individuals and groups in your company, but you will end up with effective and efficient hardware. You'll also experience significant savings, because you will be culling hardware and software that are not up to par and are possibly even bleeding money. If you rationalize your servers and nothing else, you will still get lower maintenance and support costs and lower energy bills, and you'll see a dip in your overall hardware expenses.

2. Data Center Consolidation

If you are looking to make a huge dent in your data center expenses and the thought of streamlining your company is appealing to you, then consider consolidating your data centers. This one action alone will save you a significant amount of money if you have more than one data center, even if one of your centers are as small as a linen closet. Start by creating a plan of action to move all your data center equipment under one roof. You'll reduce your real estate costs and disaster recovery contracts, and you will have much lower maintenance and support expenses.

When you consolidate your data centers, you will also rid your company of redundant hardware, software, and other IT assets. Having only one data center also means you won't need as many employees, but instead of letting them go, consider retraining them to fill other rolls in your IT department. If you'd like a real-life example of how much money you can save by consolidating your data centers, take a look at the Utah state government. They saved $4 million after consolidating all their machine rooms and data centers.

3. Hardware Virtualization

Creating virtual versions of operating systems and computers instead of using tangible items is called hardware virtualization. It can improve your business' operational efficiency, assist with cost management systems, and support consolidation efforts. When you use virtual hardware, you'll have less equipment in your data center taking up space. And with less equipment, you're maintenance and support expenses will be reduced. You will also notice that your energy bills are lower, since you won't have as many machines in your data center that require power.

Please keep in mind that if you decide to implement hardware virtualization, a license may be required to operate the new virtual hardware. But most IT professionals and business owners agree that the savings you'll get with hardware virtualization is well worth the price of a license.

4. Energy Costs

It's obvious that data centers require a lot of energy to keep all the computers and servers running at a cool temperature. The more equipment you have in your data center, the higher your energy expenses will be. Implementing the changes discussed above will reduce your energy costs.

To see an even bigger impact, take a look at the thermostat in your data center. The simple act of raising the temperature in your data center to 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit will save you a significant amount on your air conditioning bill without affecting your equipment. Also, don't forget that there is unlimited free air right outside your IT data center, so use it. A fan is a lot cheaper to run than an air conditioner.

These are just 4 ways you can slash the expenses in your company's data center. All of these suggestions are practical, but some require a lot more time and man-power then others. For more information about how you can save money in your data center, call a data center hardware maintenance company. They will be very happy to help you find cost-savings solutions for your company. You can also visit http://www.virtualtechnology.com/ for more information. 

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