Survey: Managers Lack Clout

How much say do you have about what goes into your data center? In research compiled by data center managers organization AFCOM and the InterUnity Group, a majority think they're out of the loop.

The survey of 161 AFCOM members found that nearly three quarters of data center managers polled complained of not being involved in the planning and procurement of new equipment.

This isn't a surprise. For some time now, there have been rumblings of discontent amongst data center staff who feel undervalued within their organizations (see Data Center Staff Are Revolting).

This doesn't mean IT managers don't worry about the data center. A full 45 percent of those surveyed said they were concerned about being able to support their business goals within two years. The main reasons for this are:

These concerns can also affect buying patterns. While just 56 percent of respondents have deployed high-density blade servers, for instance, many who haven't done so cite a lack of perceived benefits and the ever-present cooling concerns (see Go With the Flow, Data Center Heat Wave, and Vegas Blade Warning).AFCOM also found that utility computing is not living up to its hype. Nearly half of respondents said that they will not deploy the technology. The concept of accessing compute power and storage on a pay-as-you-go basis has been touted by a number of vendors, although users have been expressing concern about this for some time (see Grid Computing: Baby Steps and Software Licensing Gridlock).

Security remains an ongoing headache for data center managers. Even though data centers are said to be more reliable and better protected since 9/11, concerns about business continuity and disaster recovery are keeping 37 percent of the responding data center managers awake at night. Nearly one third say security remains a major concern.

— James Rogers, Site Editor, Next-Gen Data Center Forum