The rising tide of data that organizations now receive, manage and analyse shows no signs of receding. The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) in particular has increased data management exponentially. Utility Drive’s article, “Six Big Data Challenges for the Power Industry” shared that “UC Berkeley’s Alberto Sangiovani-Vincenelli sees a world populated by 7 trillion sensors by 2025. (IDC predicts that by 2019 51% of the nodes on the Internet will belong to machines, not people.)”
More than ever before, the need for reliable hardware and accessibility solutions is a pivotal part of most organizations’ long-term plans. Companies are seeking solutions that are equipped to expand with the incoming tide and endure for the duration.
For example, the average server lifespan is three to five years. The accompanying server software has a shelf life as well. Utility Drive shares that, “Pushing the longevity of your server makes you more susceptible to unplanned downtime and data loss.”
This means every three or so years companies need to not only update server hardware and the accompanying software, but also ensure their staff has the time to do so. More and more companies are looking for servers that can endure longer while remaining stable. This enables them to free up their IT resources and focus on expansion.
Stratus’s Downtime Prevention Buyer’s Guide, talks about the six questions you should be asking to prevent unplanned downtime and data loss. Stratus suggests asking, “Is your solution future-ready and what is the lifetime value of the investment?” when implementing solutions like server hardware.
“When you invest in an availability solution, it makes good business sense to consider longevity and total cost of ownership. As more organizations rethink their server refresh schedules, they’re looking for platforms that can truly go the distance to maximize return on investment.
Therefore, when evaluating solutions, it makes sense to ask vendors about the average lifespan of their products. Research has shown that standard servers tend to experience a marked increase in failure rates, downtime, and support costs between years four and five, prompting organizations to refresh on a four-year cycle.
Fault-tolerant servers, however, offer significantly longer life spans — many averaging seven years — without notable performance degradation or higher maintenance costs. Before making your purchase decision, you should also enquire about customer satisfaction ratings and retention rates to verify vendors’ claims and make sure they deliver on their promises.”
