Public Safety Grade Data Centers Evaluation Guidelines Series

As data center facilities have developed to include virtual as well as physical facilities, this has led to confusion and inertia for Public Safety in general and the 9-1-1 industry in particular, on the adoption of any of the new computing paradigms in their operations. There is often the natural tendency to avoid change and “go with what you know,” even when there is evidence that past solutions are no longer meeting present needs. This includes the weight of stranded capital and legacy investments, especially when securing capital, or even just getting permission for new expenditures, which involves complex or difficult processes. Additionally, gaining an accurate and complete picture of what technologies are currently available can mean a challenging dive into vendors’ marketing messages to find the essential value in their offerings (especially as it relates to a particular technical and economic situation).