# What You Should Know About Data Centers: Insights from an Expert Roundtable Source: https://expedient.com/knowledgebase/blog/2016-01-19-data-center-insights-from-an-expert-roundtable/ [](#) # What You Should Know About Data Centers: Insights from an Expert Roundtable January 19, 2016 3 min Read ## Data Center Insights _Columbus Business First_ magazine conducted a roundtable discussion on all things data centers with area leaders in the field, including Expedient’s own Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Bryan Smith, as well as Phil Smith of Racksquared, Kim Gerhart of Cologix, Jason Harris of CeraNet and Michael Minnich of NetGain Information Systems. The discussion was informative and offered an interesting view of different perspectives from those who work in the industry every day. #### Here are some of the notable takeaways from Bryan: When asked about getting customers on board with outsourcing to a colocation provider, Bryan had this to say: “The key word you used is ‘trust.’ … No one will move forward with any of us without having that trust. The other driving factor is they have to have a business need and a problem they’re trying to solve. They get to the point where they realize their business can be better served by them focusing on their core strengths and what drives their business forward.” The myth that customers come to data centers only after having a major disaster was dispelled by numerous commentators; Bryan included: “The more common things are the power outage inside their building, the flood that comes from the kitchen two floors above their server or just human error.… Many more companies are prepared now than what they use to be.” Data centers have to rely on outside providers to service clients. Here is how Bryan describes that relationship: “From Expedient’s perspective, we have long-term relationships with our different partners, some 10-plus years. We standardize on the same systems and process in all of our facilities. … We also have those kind of long-term relationships with hardware providers. They are really helpful to us in managing up the food chain to make sure we can weather (disaster-type events).” To read the full discussion, download the article [here.](http://go.expedient.com/l/12902/2016-01-15/2762lx/12902/124217/Datacenters_Table_of_Experts_web_edited.pdf) It offers a lot of useful information for those considering a data center move. Thank you to _Columbus Business First_ for conducting the thought leader data center roundtable and including Expedient. _As Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Rosenson is responsible for overseeing organizational functions that drive growth at Expedient. Jon additionally acts as an external spokesperson conveying the Expedient story._ [_Follow him_](https://x.com/rosenson) _on Twitter._ #### #### #### #### [ ![Jonathan Rosenson](https://res.cloudinary.com/dvlpy3tua/image/upload/fl_sanitize/uploads/jon-rosenson.jpg) Jonathan RosensonPresident & Chief Operating Officer ](/knowledgebase/blog/authors/jonathan-rosenson) [Colocation](/knowledgebase/blog/tag/colocation) ### Related Posts [ #### The VMware Wait Tax: Why Every Quarter of Delay... Inaction on a VMware migration is widely treated as a neutral position, a de... Learn More ](/knowledgebase/blog/2026-08-04-the-vmware-wait-tax-why-every-quarter-of-delay-has-a-price-tag/)[ #### The Great Inversion What was easy is now hard. What was hard is now easy. {% include blog-key-... Learn More ](/knowledgebase/blog/2026-07-29-the-great-inversion/)[ #### Your New Cloud Strategy: Rebalancing for Cost a... {% include blog-key-takeaways.html items=page.key\_takeaways %} A few years a... Learn More ](/knowledgebase/blog/2026-07-15-your-new-cloud-strategy-rebalancing-for-cost-and-performance/) ## Subscribe to Our Blog VMware September 29th, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET ## It’s Time to Decide Your VMware Path [Join us →](https://go.expedient.com/VMWarePath) ### VMware September 29th, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET ## It’s Time to Decide Your VMware Path [Join us →](https://go.expedient.com/VMWarePath)