The results of one study: a minute of inactivity of the average data center costs $ 7900

Probably, even those who are “far from the topic” understand that a simple data center translates into a tidy sum for both owners and customers. But how much can it cost, for example, the minute of idle DC (take the average temperature in the hospital)? It turns out that the amount is very significant - $ 7,900 ; in addition, the cost of downtime increases from year to year. Back in 2010, the same minute of idleness of the average DC cost about $ 5,600. The study was conducted by the Ponemon Institute team, and all this work was funded since 2010 by Emerson Network Power. It should be noted that the study was conducted on the basis of 67 data centers with an average area of ​​232 square meters, and data from business centers in various sectors of industry / business were used.

At the same time, direct, indirect and indirect damages resulting from data center idleness were analyzed. Specialists evaluated losses resulting from the loss of critical data, reduced productivity of business processes, equipment damage, lawsuits, loss of customer confidence.
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According to the data obtained, the greatest losses were incurred by organizations whose business model is built to guarantee the availability of data and the safety of customer equipment. The largest loss among all those examined was the loss incident for the owners of DC $ 1.7 million. It is worth noting that, despite all the incidents, their number is still reduced, compared with 2010, although not much.

Needless to say, the more “productive”, if one can put it that way, the data centers become, the greater the losses incurred by the customers of the DC and the owners of the downtime. All this is explained, among other things, by the growing price of business operations supported by the DC environment, and by the fact that the data placed in the DC are becoming more and more critical and important.

“Due to the ever-increasing volumes of data and operations carried out in the data center environment, we can expect an increase in the price of a minute of downtime,” says the head and founder of the Ponemon Institute. “Nevertheless, the increase in the price of a minute of downtime by 41% since 2010 was even higher than expected. Such an active increase in the cost of "blackouts" can lead to the fact that a minute of inactivity will cost tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, "Larry Pounémon continued.

The main results of the study are as follows:

- the average duration of downtime of the data center, due to various kinds of force majeure, is 86 minutes. The price of such idle time, if we are guided by the above calculations, is $ 690,200. In 2010, the same indicator is 97 minutes and 505,500 US dollars;

- The downtime + recovery, in averaging, is 119 minutes, and $ 901,500. In 2010, the same indicator was 134 minutes and $ 680,700;

- 91% of respondents (owners and operators of DC) for the period of 24 months there were idle times. In 2010, 95% of respondents had idle times.

Despite the fact that the total number of accidents / incidents in the DC, compared with 2010, has decreased, there are some areas in which the emergency downtime has become, on the contrary, more. This is a hotel business, public organizations, transport organizations and the media sector .

The original study is available on the Emerson website, plus a clear infographic is available.

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