How Outsourcing Can Stretch IT Budgets

In its 2014 IT budget survey, Computerworld found that 43 percent of the 194 executives surveyed predicted their budgets would increase for 2015. In the same 2013 survey, only 36 percent of respondents had made that same prediction. If those survey results can be extrapolated, then that’s good news for IT execs.

Even with more money at their disposal, IT leaders may struggle with how to allocate resources and cut expenses. But shifting some of that spending to external – rather than internal – resources is one way to keep costs under control.

Security and maintenance

The Computerworld survey also found that security was the top priority for respondents. Yet, security could encompass a lot of expenses – software, systems upgrades and physical barriers, for example. That’s one reason some IT departments are moving servers to offsite data centers, rather than spending a significant portion of their budget on improved security.

Colocation data centers – those that rent space to multiple businesses – are equipped with top-notch virtual and physical security measures. Another perk that makes these sites appealing for IT leaders is 24-hour monitoring. If a server goes down overnight, data center staff will be alerted immediately.

Expert resources

Major corporations may have the luxury of a large IT staff, but most businesses can’t afford to hire their IT dream team. So, some companies may have a developer or two and a technician, but they must hire outside firms to tackle specialized jobs. That type of one-off task management can become expensive, but tenants in a colocation data center share access to experts.

Analysts, risk managers, compliance practitioners, welders, electricians – all of these specialists (and more) are part of a colocation center’s services team. That’s a real boon for small businesses that otherwise could not afford to pay for such expertise on a case-by-case basis.

Scalable solutions

Budgets can grow one year and shrink the next, so IT executives must always consider how to keep their departments scalable. Hiring several people or expanding office space can backfire, if a business enters a slump or budgets are reduced. This is just another instance when an offsite data center is an ideal solution.

Colocation centers are designed to be flexible; companies can adjust the amount of space they rent to accommodate growth or decline. And with experts on staff, colocation centers may eliminate the need for businesses to hire more employees.

To learn more about the advantages of using a colocation data center, schedule a tour with Lifeline Data Centers today.

Other resources:

• Infographic: The 22 Data Center Compliance Acronyms You Need to Know
• White Paper: Why Data Center Compartmentalization is Important
• Lifeline One Sheet: What You Need to Know About Lifeline Data Centers

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.