DCN September 2016 | Page 4

welcome data centre news Group Editor Michael Crane – 01353 616117 [email protected] Editor Russell Drury – 01353 616105 [email protected] Group Advertisement Manager Kelly Byne – 01634 673163 [email protected] Advertisement Manager Francesca Brisk – 01634 673163 [email protected] Studio Manager Ben Bristow – 01634 673163 [email protected] Designer Jon Appleton – 01353 616114 [email protected] Business Support Administrator Carol Gylby – 01634 673163 [email protected] Publishing Director Alan Goodes – 01634 673163 [email protected] Managing Director David Kitchener – 01634 673163 [email protected] Accounts 01634 673163 [email protected] The editor and publishers do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors nor do they accept responsibility for any errors in the transmission of the subject matter in this publication. In all matters the editor’s decision is final. Editorial contributions to DCN are welcomed, and the editor reserves the right to alter or abridge text prior to publication. © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Head office & Accounts: Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Kent ME5 8UD T: [phone] | F: [phone] Editorial Office: Alexander House, 38 Forehill, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4AF T: [phone] | F: [phone] W elcome to the September issue of Data Centre News. A recent survey has revealed that IT specialists are the least likely to use all their annual leave among all professionals. This doesn’t hugely surprise me. For as long as I’ve been working, the IT guy/girl has been the go-to person to solve any issues with technology within the workplace, from the printer jamming to an email not sending. The time old ‘have you tried turning it off and on again?’ is now a well worn cliché, and the image of the IT team being a timid, small group of anti-social geeks, like in the popular Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, is an outdated stereotype. IT specialists are dedicated professionals, and most modern companies depend on them to ensure their business runs smoothly. For larger companies this isn’t too much of a problem, as they are likely to be well covered staff wise. For smaller firms, though, the news that their IT expert is going away for a week can send panic through the office – what happens if the Wi-Fi goes down?! A friend of mine joined a well known high street confectioner in his early 20s, initially working in the call centre. After a few months his boss had noticed how adept he was at solving small computer problems and he was quickly reassigned as an IT manager. He is still there now in a senior IT role, and with the company’s growth in the past decade the IT department is well covered for sickness and holidays. In his earlier days, however, he was often ‘on call’ at the weekends to address any IT issues in the office – and with this kind of pressure on individuals it is perhaps unsurprising to discover that many IT professionals do struggle to use all of their annual leave if they feel their absence could cause problems at work. Our special feature this month is Colocation and Outsourcing, beginning on page 16 with an article from Cogeco Peer 1 looking at the benefits of storing data in an edge data centre. Our Meet Me Room guest on page 13 is Jim Hart of Business Critical Solutions, and Nic Scott of Code 42 delivers the Final Thought on page 44. Thank you for reading and if you have any opinions on any of the topics discussed please write to [email protected] Russell Drury Editor