The difference between your white space and mine is in the details — you’re working with IT equipment on a data center floor, and I am working with words on a page. But, as I am putting together this issue, I find myself with a lot to say and not a lot of room, so here it goes.
Top Tier Product Awards
“We are very happy to introduce the Top Tier Products Awards to the data center industry,” said Mike Murphy, publisher of Mission Critical. “Welcome to this inaugural award program, and congratulations to the innovative companies that we honor in this issue.”
The awards honor products in eight categories: Cabinets, Cables/Cable Management Systems, HVAC Systems, Power Products/Systems, Racks, Security, Software, and UPS/Flywheel technologies. Each submission was reviewed by a panel of third-party judges and scored on safety, reliability, efficiency, and other key features.
Facility Manager of the Year
Speaking of contests, Mission Critical is accepting submissions now through Aug. 31 for the 2020 Facility Manager of the Year Award. Visit www.missioncriticalmagazine.com/FMOY to nominate someone today. The winner will be featured in the November/December issue.
Continuing Education
If you follow the magazine on social media, then you already know I recently earned my Certified Data Center Design Professional (CDCDP) designation. And, if you don’t follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, then you should. We post different content on each platform — everything from news briefs to funny memes to quizzes.
But, anyway, we’re not talking about social, we’re talking about continuing education. What classes have you taken lately? If your answer is none, how do you stay current with the advancements in technology and the constantly changing trends?
I’ve been working at the magazine for a year now, and I must say — reading about a particular topic all day, every day is a solid way to get educated. I have absorbed an incredible amount of information on mission critical technologies in just a short amount of time. But, still, I attended virtual training with a CNet instructor, and somehow I felt like I was learning something new every couple of minutes — in a way that was easy to understand and process.
Even if your job doesn’t require you to earn CEUs, it’s not a bad idea. If you don’t change and grow with the industry, your knowledge will soon be outdated and your skills obsolete.
Remote learning opportunities are a great way to incorporate education into your schedule without having to travel or take time off work. Mission Critical has a continuing education center with a full library of webinars that offer CEUs for attendees who view live or on-demand, virtual lunch and learns, and more. Professionals can enter CNet’s Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework at any level and complete programs in various sectors. And, of course, there are several opportunities available through BICSI, 7x24 Exchange Intl., DCIRN, etc.
Email me at al-katiba@bnpmedia.com if you have questions about my experience with the CNet virtual class or to share some insight into other training programs that are available.
