Data Centre Consolidation Generates Big Gains for UK Telco

This document is a case study detailing a data centre consolidation project undertaken by a major UK telecommunications firm in collaboration with Bell Integration. The primary objective of the project was to rationalise the company's legacy data centre infrastructure, which had become inefficient due to server sprawl resulting from mergers and acquisitions. The firm aimed to decommission redundant assets, reduce operational costs, and improve asset utilisation while also committing to environmental sustainability goals. The project involved a comprehensive audit of existing infrastructure and the development of a consolidation plan that would allow for significant reductions in power usage and maintenance costs. The initiative successfully decommissioned 99 physical assets, leading to annual operational savings exceeding £870K and creating a commercial opportunity for the Cloud Hosting division by returning 35 full racks for resale. The case study outlines the strategic approach taken and the expected future optimisations through virtualisation technologies.