3 tips for merging multiple data centers

While Equinix could easily be pegged as one of the most dominant data center players in Europe, the company will soon have a powerful new rival. Data Center Knowledge reported that Interxion, located in the Netherlands, will be merging with TelecityGroup, establishing a new base of operations in London. The $2.2 billion agreement will turn two of the largest competitors in the European data center sector into one company with access to both sets of resources.

The merger between the two companies will take some time, however, especially in regards to merging their two data centers into one. This overview of consolidation tactics can act as a guide for any data center company planning to merge with another.

1. Prioritize new and old assets before you start consolidating
One major task facing Interxion and TelecityGroup in the joint-consolidation of their data facilities is the ranking of assets and resources. Overlapping systems are more than likely to arise when two data centers compare their network setups - identifying and eliminating redundant processes early on helps your IT team avoid doing that work later down the road.

2. Define a clear vision and plan for merger efforts
With the merger of two companies follows the combining of IT teams and contradictory approaches to running the data center. CIO warned that in situations like these it might be impossible to make everyone happy or to incorporate everyone's suggestions. IT managers will have to cherry pick best known methods from each company's playbook in order to develop data center design approach that best serves customers from both sets of clients.

3. Slow and steady avoids unscheduled downtime
Remember that rushing through your data center merger will only hurt the company's effectiveness in the long run. Taking the process step-by-step will help to minimize downtime, customer frustration and repetitive maintenance on the new data center. You and your team may need to make small investments to ease the transition of data from one facility to the other, such as a remote console server. Purchases like these will help get the data center up to full speed as quickly as possible, ensuring that clients from both companies will receive uninterrupted service during the merger.

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