IT engineers are often portrayed in the media as solitary, poor communicators and lacking in social skills. We find the opposite to be true – in the right environment, doing what they love and surrounded by like-minded people, they can flourish.

This is true in their own office but equally working offsite as well. IT engineers spend a lot of time and anti-social hours on site at data facilities, making sure that everything is up-to-date and performing at optimum levels.

So, alongside all the vital technical considerations of outsourcing your data center (which are outlined here), this ‘softer’ side of your IT engineer must also be taken into account.

Here are a few things to make sure engineers’ time offsite at the data center is as welcoming and conducive to work as a day in the office.

Accessibility – make it easy

• The commute – will this add two hours to an employee’s working day? Can you find a facility that is walkable from your office or indeed has parking spaces for customers? These may make getting there easier and more pleasant but will also save you time and money
• The front door – can they get in easily and quickly while being reassured about the security levels for their IT infrastructure?
• The connectivity - access to superfast WiFi will speed up the job and ensure your IT team is up and running as quickly as possible

Location – make it appealing

• The locale – if someone wants to go somewhere its likely they will be more effective when they are there. Central city locations are generally more appealing than out of-town facilities where there is not much going on and again the IT engineer can feel isolated
• The amenities – nice restaurants, bars and useful shops nearby can make life far easier for an engineer who is working long hours but needs a break

Environment – make it pleasant

• The temperature – your IT engineer does not want to come and spend his day on a hot box, he’s not signed up to Bikram yoga after all. Make sure the surroundings are state of the art with excellent cooling systems in place for both your employee and your technology
• The set-up – hours could be spent on building the technology and putting it together before it is ready to go on the racks. Is there a separate space for this, making it easier to complete the job more quickly?
• The downtime – because they do need it. Make sure the data center you choose is at least a bit like a home from home with break out rooms and sofas, TVs and showers

And, lastly, the other people in your data center can make it a better place to be - staff who are helpful and available, co-locators who understand the issues of your business and can help provide solutions.

When you are in good company, you are in a good place.