3 Key Considerations for IT to Save Money in 2023
With a new year comes a season of resolutions - eating better, working out more, reconnecting with friends. There’s no reason that resolutions can’t extend to the workplace, particularly when it comes to saving money. Inertia is a real thing in the data center — continuing to do things the way they’ve always been done — so it’s an opportune time to take stock and consider a three-step plan to implement significant savings:
Acknowledge Your Aging Systems Inventory
Understand Your Post-Warranty Options
Get a Health Check
Acknowledge Your Aging Systems Inventory
The reality in most data centers is that a majority of systems are over 5 years old. An Uptime Institute study in 2020 found that at least 50% of systems are at least 5 years old. Our own internal research would suggest that percentage is closer to 65%, and that the median age of enterprise network and storage systems can be closer to 7 years. What are the implications of that aging inventory? It’s an opportunity to evaluate the current spend on maintenance and support for systems that might no longer be tier 1 critical, yet whose costs are still top tier. And, this is particularly important if the system is planned for — or in the midst of — a migration to a new platform.
Understand Your Post-Warranty Options
Once a system reaches the end of its original warranty period — typically year 5 — important changes begin to set in. For example, operating system software has typically reached a stable point. Most system updates have been made, and any additional patches are made through infrequent service packs. If the system is not running current code levels, a customer is legally within their rights to download all patches and updates for future use before they end any existing support contract.
When a system no longer requires OEM-specific software updates, options open up for customers to contract post-warranty support from a trusted third-party multi-vendor service provider.
Get a Data Center Health Check
After 30 years in the industry supporting a broad spectrum of enterprise network and storage systems, CDS has developed a method to rapidly identify savings opportunities for aging data center systems. CDS can upload an inventory into a proprietary lookup tool to generate reports that highlight the age of data center assets by type and vendor, estimated current support costs, and savings opportunity across different priority systems. This no-cost health check can be turned around in a day and has been used by many global enterprises to inform savings programs, modernization initiatives, and even migration plans.
Figure 1. Example Enterprise Storage System Patch and Update Schedule from GA to End of Life
Summary
An opportunity to find additional money in an IT budget is always welcome – to assist in funding strategic initiatives or to provide a cushion during uncertain economic times. Identifying areas of over-spend, particularly when it comes to supporting systems that are well past their original warranty period, is an important first step to delivering real and rapid savings. Contact CDS today to learn more and conduct a no-cost health check of your aging systems inventory.
