Dell weighs into Aussie data centre audit space

It is understood that the service will cover virtualisation and storage consulting, data centre consolidation and migration, energy smart assessments, and data centre design, layout and configuration.

All service components bar the conceptual design and automation elements are available immediately. These remaining services will be introduced ‘sometime next year’, according to Dell’s A/NZ infrastructure consulting services manager, Kiwa Stevenson.

Word of the service first leaked out at a press conference last month and was immediately verbally embargoed until launch, primarily because it was unclear how the offering would be priced.

Stevenson confirmed to iTnews that the average cost for an optimisation audit – which includes a workshop, 5-10 days of onsite assessment, a month-long period of remote measurement and conceptual design recommendations – will start from $10,000.

This appears to make it competitive with rivals like Eaton’s safety and efficiency audit (priced from $10,000 to $20,000) but more than APC’s $4,000 service, which appears to include similar elements - an IT/facilities management workshop, site analysis and conceptual redesign.

More cost-conscious operators, however, might be interested to know that Dell is offering the first part of its service – the workshop – for free.

“We go through a workshop with the customer to identify their pain points and priorities,” said Stevenson.

“That’s the free part, but our entire engagement approach is to be short, succinct and actionable. Each phase justifies moving to the next for the customer.”

The freebie could conceivably persuade customers to try Dell’s audit service first.

It’s a smart move for Dell to potentially drive up direct sales, and according to Stevenson, the channel won’t miss out either.

“All Dell’s services are built to engage both direct [sales] and the channel,” said Stevenson.

“They’re modular so customers can choose.”

It seems plausible that the channel could embrace the service as a way to get into customer sites, expose their network configurations and therefore opportunities to make them more efficient.

It’s something that could lead to more sales opportunities in what is predicted by analysts to be a tough year for hardware sales.

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