Comment: Modular Advantage
www.itincanada.ca/index.php?cid=455&id=14448

Good news - the data centre in a container is coming back to Canada!

IBM is resuming the Canadian part of its PMDC tour, with September stops in Regina (September 16), Montreal (September 20), Toronto (September 22), and Ottawa (September 27).

Registration info is available on our Calendar page - just click on the event listing, and the reg link will pop up. Please move fast if you're interested, though - seating is very limited.

Here's a picture from the Calgary event, to whet your appetite. Hope to see you in Regina!

I just don't understand why these haven't taken off like wildfire. There are plenty of industrial rooftops in Canada that would make ideal data centers - well dispersed, easy access to power, easy to secure. Cheap and easy - and a good use of unused real estate. Let's get with it!!!

Cheryl

There is an IBM white paper Scalable modular data centers-the right choice for midsize organizations that talks about the drivers and advantages of implementing modular data centers instead of traditional, raised-floor data centers, which are usually not an option for mid-sized businesses.

This white paper was developed before Cloud computing got really big, but it has some interesting case studies and facts on savings - and not all companies want to put their computing infrastructure in the cloud just yet. These modular data centers can take as little as 8 - 12 weeks to create, once the design is completed. And they are a lot less capital intensive than a full size data center!! They are also a lot more flexible in the spaces that they can occupy.

Cheryl

I agree Cheryl. Having been inside another one a few months back in Las Vegas, I'm surprised. These things are conspicuous by their absence.

Building a traditional data center involves spending many millions and years in federal, provincial, regional, and municipal approval processes, completing hundreds of forms and applications and all the other pylons professional paper pushers put in an entrepreneur's way.

Instead, drop one of these on a lot and set up a fast little cloud service. Most municipalities don't bother with items like sideyard, setback, and building permits when a mobile unit is on a lot. So leave the data center on a flatbed and it likely qualifies to be left alone. "No Mr Building Inspector, I can move this any time, so you can leave now."