Getting the Facts on DBA Services

Many enterprises are curious about using managed services for database administration tasks, but is there any information — any quantitative data — on the effectiveness of this approach that IT professionals can share with executives? Yes.

There is now information that shows why this strategic hiring approach is gaining traction in the United States.

Mark Perlstein, chief executive officer of Datavail, one of the largest providers of remote database administration services in North America, noticed more corporations starting to move to managed services to complement existing staff. Client comments from organizations of different sizes and varied industries supported his observation, but Perlstein wanted to be certain Datavail had a clear and unbiased source of current information about outsourcing database administration trends.

Big Data Calls for Big Skills

The recent upsurge of attention to Big Data has fueled interest in the outsourcing approach, particularly as organizations attempt to wring more value from their data stores. John Michelsen, chief technology officer at CA Technologies, told Information Week:

Datavail sought Forrester Consulting’s expertise in providing independent, objective research to verify anecdotal concepts about the use of managed services contracts that have been bandied about by IT professionals and in the media.

Gathering the Facts

Forrester Consulting research analysts asked database administration executives at United States-based firms with 1,000 or more employees their opinions on outsourcing database administration functions to third-party firms. Researchers were able to independently discover which organizations are now using this approach and their reasons for doing so.

Noel Yuhanna, principal analyst at Forrester Consulting, will share these results March 12 in a webinar hosted by Datavail’s Perlstein.

Some of the advantages found include:

• Improved SLAs
• Consistent 24×7 coverage
• The ability to tap deep expertise in areas in which in-house staff needed assistance
• Multi-platform expertise
• Improved retention of on-staff DBAs

“With the explosion in the variety, velocity and volume of data and databases, coupled with the scarcity of DBA talent, the time is right to consider an alternative approach to managing databases,” Perlstein says.

Making It Work for You

Could moving toward a managed services contract work for your enterprise? What challenges can outsourcing solve? Get these answers when Datavail presents “Five Reasons to Consider a Managed Services Approach to Database Administration,” Wednesday, March 12, 10 a.m. MDT.

You can register here: http://ubm.io/OuzLAK

You may learn facts you can leverage to help gain buy-in for an outsourcing strategy from C-level executives. Attendees will receive a detailed white paper in which findings from the survey — in readily-understandable graphic format — will be provided.

To register, visit: http://ubm.io/OuzLAK.