Part 2 of 3: What types of services and assistance do we see  Data Center leaders specifically look for in their trusted advisors?

In part 1 of this series we discussed the challenges facing the Data Center Leader and influencers. We explored the dramatically changing landscape and smart cloud, multi solution, and business savvy trusted advisors needed for their success. Now, let’s address the specific requirements Data Center leaders can and should ask of their partners who desire to assist them in this complex market transition, and help these leaders realize their cloud vision.

What is a trusted advisor? It’s an old school name but the reality of the situation on the ground today, is it’s the exact description of what’s needed. The words “trusted advisor” mean that you have business acumen. It means that you have the experience, the training, the knowledge, and the subject matter expertise to be trusted to advise your clients well. Here are specific recommendations as Data Center Leaders to ask your trusted advisors:

  • What IT Service to deploy: Data Center Leaders must decide which IT service to use, the pros and cons of choices and the specifics of how to deploy them quickly and safely.
  • The Range of Professional Services: From pre-sales consulting, to assessment, to design, to procurement & implementation, to integration, to ensuring it all runs, & to ultimately support it. Data center users require expertise in many of these arenas to augment staff and or outsource services; and often across multiple domains of technology.
  • Benefits and Options for Cloud Transition: Partners can help the Data Center Leader transition to the cloud; understand what the pros and cons of each cloud offering are; and the complete costs – both advertised and hidden implementation costs that often emerge in cloud.
  • Good partners will not debate only recurring and non-recurring; it’s important that real trusted advisors give you detailed options in the cloud / opex model and are not more focused on their own recurring or non-recurring revenue impacts. It’s true that many partners are faced with adjusting their balance sheets to recurring and non-recurring revenue models. However, if they are unable to offer you detailed options in the cloud model – it may be time to explore other partners. Too often partners are focused on debating one model vs. another – recurring and non-recurring – and this does not serve the enterprise data center leader well.
  • Cost effective fair solutions in pricing: in the hardware, software, maintenance, licensing, and system management arena. A good partner will have strong vendor relationships and bring the leader competitive and informed choices.
  • Carrier and Contract Management – as the Data center lead evolves the business to the cloud and globally, contract management gets more challenging and sophisticated. A trusted partner can manage some or all of this for the leader.
  • Demonstrate detailed knowledge in Managed hosting, private cloud, public cloud, & multi-cloud service. All of these are changing rapidly; a trusted advisor will assist you in continuing to make the right choices.
  • Offer SME and Executive Education Assistance – Data Center leaders are chartered with continuous education of often non – technical executives and board members. A good partner assists in cultivating the relationships and educating these executives.

The challenges for the Enterprise Data Center leader are significant and rapidly evolving. Trusted advisors who can help you with the above are ones to treasure. In part 3, we will offer specific advice to the partners to best serve you!