IT Expansion With No Thought To Infrastructure

March 21, 2007: According to a new UK survey, 50 percent of businesses fail to recognise the demands new IT equipment puts on infrastructure in regards to space and power requirements.

Conducted by data centre specialist Global Switch, the pan-European survey found that half of European businesses predict no increase in their IT space or power requirements, despite a forecasted surge in IT investment.

The company found that 66 percent of the companies surveyed are planning significant IT investments over the coming twelve months, and 70 percent are planning to increase IT spend this year. Interestingly, 45 percent insist this will not impact on spatial demands and, according to Global Switch, “53 percent extraordinarily do not expect this to result in increased power consumption.”

"With companies across Europe continuing to invest in their IT systems, they must begin to recognise the resulting space and power requirements,” says Greg Scorziello, CEO at Global Switch. ”Even those companies which have available floor space may not be equipped to handle the excessive power usage - and they are most unlikely to have the facilities necessary to keep systems cool and in working order, thus mitigating risk and avoiding costly power outages.

“IT directors must start taking these issues in to consideration - or European business could well start feeling the heat."

Global Switch warns that if these misconceptions do not dramatically change, current office infrastructures could be set to buckle, placing many businesses under unanticipated pressure. It is calling for board directors to prioritise the physical housing of IT equipment within the overall business continuity planning process.

The company has offices in European cities such as London, Paris and Frankfurt as well as Singapore and Sydney.

Comment on this story