Re: Independent rating service of colocation facilities

[Dave Crocker <dcrocker () brandenburg com>]

At 01:30 PM 1/4/2000 , Alex Bligh wrote:
> Caveat emptor. Take customer references. Do due diligence.

An elaboration on this fundamental observation.

There are at least two ways  one can attempt due diligence:  pro forma vs. 
in-depth.

Pro forma assumes competence, thoroughness, well-established definitions 
(and understandings) of relevant professional practises, etc.  In other 
words, it assumes that you are working in a later-stage mature industry, so 
that everyone has a common understanding of things.

The co-lo industry ain't there yet.

So the alternative is much more effort and much more difficult, but 
absolutely essential:  The customer must have their own, independent access 
to high-quality technical and operations expertise and the due diligence 
must be detailed and in-person (such as the noted visual inspection of the 
generatorS.)

d/

ps.  The other burden this places on the customer is carefully and 
reasonably formulating their REAL requirement.  Demanding the best of 
everything is entirely inappropriate for most businesses.  You won't be 
able to afford it and you don't need it.

=-=-=-=-=
Dave Crocker  <dcrocker () brandenburg com>
Brandenburg Consulting  <www.brandenburg.com>
Tel: +1.408.246.8253,  Fax: +1.408.273.6464
675 Spruce Drive,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA