Get in the Door: Five Considerations to Support Government, Education and Library IT

Compliance. Government data centers are held to a level of compliance that sets them apart from other IT applications. Look for Trade Agreement Act (TAA) and Buy American Act (BAA) compliant infrastructure solutions to ensure a smooth and easy buying process. The federal buying season is hot from July to September, so this is the perfect time to reach out with compliant, efficient and reliable infrastructure support solutions.

DCOI. The Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) requires government agencies to consolidate and modernize IT infrastructure by the end of FY18, with the goal of reducing annual costs associated with federal data centers by 25 percent. Of importance: achieving a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.5 or lower and the use of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools to automate monitoring and operations. Look for cooling and power infrastructure solutions that operate at high efficiencies, and that allow monitoring and management with DCIM tools.

E-rate. Many schools and libraries qualify for discounts of 20 to 90 percent on telecommunications and Internet access equipment through the E-rate program–the name commonly used for the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission. Check out the USAC website for information on eligible IT and infrastructure support equipment. Now is the time to start planning for the next round of available funds. Rural school districts are eligible for a discount of an additional 5 to 10 percent more than urban areas. Make sure you have your SPIN number handy so you are ready to help your local customers.

Integration. Education and government customers are feeling the pain of supporting IT equipment at the network edge. To simplify the process for your customers, consider fully integrated infrastructure solutions that can support IT equipment in unlikely spaces that were never intended to be used as a data center. An enclosed row of cabinets with integrated cooling, power, fire suppression and security can fit in small rooms or office spaces. These solutions have the benefit of being flexible enough to customize for specific locations, but are easily repeatable and deployable across a number of sites.

Lifecycle support. IT networks with edge locations are often straining to fully support their remote sites. More and more, data center operations are looking for infrastructure that can be bundled with lifecycle support to provide installation, removal and disposal of old UPS systems, monitoring of operating conditions, maintenance and service. Look for a supplier with convenience programs, local support and a robust warranty.