Three quarters of European businesses compromise the security of mission critical data to save on costs
23 February 2006, LONDON – More than 60 per cent of European businesses select their IT data centre solution based on cost rather than suitability of space or security, according to the latest research released from Global Switch, a leading provider of purpose-built, high specification data centres.
The research highlights that many European businesses identify cost as the most important criteria above all other factors when deciding where to house their IT infrastructure. The research also uncovered variations across Europe, with companies located in Spain, the Netherlands and Germany citing cost as their number one criteria while businesses based in the UK and France rating location and space availability as their top priorities when selecting an IT data centre solution.
Global Switch warns that businesses are often under the misapprehension that it’s cheaper to keep their data centre in-house. In reality third party specialist [data centre] facilities often provide a solution that is not only more cost-effective but also delivers an infinitely more resilient environment.
“It is interesting to note that there are not only differing attitudes towards the importance of cost across the European countries but also across industry sectors as well. We found that the banking sector is already recognising the importance and cost effectiveness of locating its IT infrastructure in a secure environment, while other verticals businesses are still relying too much on cost as a key decision making criteria when selecting a data centre solution” said Julian King, Group Commercial Director at Global Switch.
With companies becoming ever more dependent on sophisticated data and communications systems, and half of all businesses across Europe already experiencing over 20 minutes of unscheduled downtime per month*, it is crucial that companies put location reliability at the top of their wish-list when considering where to house mission-critical IT equipment. Only then can they ensure that the solution they choose provides the best protection for their business assets.
“It is startling that businesses outside the banking industry are still unaware that focusing solely on cost introduces risk which could ultimately end up costing the company significantly more money in the long run. The results of this research shows that many organisations across Europe are not taking into consideration the implications associated with downtime if their IT systems should fail. The simple solution for all businesses is to house all IT infrastructure in a cost-effective, purpose-built, third-party data centre”, adds King.
About Global Switch
Global Switch own and operate a portfolio of eight self-contained, purpose-built data centres in key gateway cities across Europe and Asia Pacific. These facilities are designed to provide secure, resilient and scalable environments for businesses to house their IT infrastructure. Each data centre is highly-specified to include diverse power supplies with back-up generators, temperature and humidity monitoring, stringent security and access to multiple telecommunication and service providers. Further information can be found at www.globalswitch.com