To paraphrase Oscar Mayer, “Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody likes RFPs.” For those of you who have never had the pleasure of responding to one, think of them as a prospective customer’s “Christmas List” for their next data center. They are time consuming for the prospective customer to put together, and the typical provider submission resembles the phone directory of a small city. Ah, good times, good times.
Unfortunately, for both parties RFPs are a necessary evil, and they are still the best way for a company to evaluate their list of suitors. In other words, if you have to do it, you might as well do it right. Therefore, it’s surprising to me that although they may document everything down to the color of the tile in the men’s room, rarely do they ask the responding data center provider to deliver proof of the claims that they make within the document. This has always struck me as a little surprising. I mean sure, I like a nice off-white subway tile in the bathroom but shouldn’t I be more interested in the fact that the company that I’m about to give a very large check to is actually telling me the truth about the data center I’m buying?