Ten IT Talking Points Your CFO Will Love

10. Reduce Data Center Costs

Modular data centers are becoming a way to cut costs. Google and other major players are starting to look to this model to avoid building & construction costs. The use of managed or hosted services should be another consideration. This combination can reduce capital expenses with incremental expansion. It can also bring about 40 percent lower cooling costs in 1/8th the space.

Slideshow: Secrets of Successful Data Centers

While the relationship between CFO and CIO can sometimes have more debits than credits, it is definitely worth the investment in time and effort to highlight IT projects in terms the CFO will understand. This means working hard to determine the full financial impact of your programs, demonstrating that you are looking at the total cost of ownership, and considering the company-wide financial impact of your projects. While past performance is no guarantee of future returns, if you can successfully strengthen the relationship between you and your CFO the return on investment--excuse me--I mean the total cost of ownership can be stunning.

About the Author: Irwin Teodoro is Director of Engineering, Systems Integration, for Laurus Technologies (www.laurustech.com), a leading provider of IT consulting and systems integration solutions. He is responsible for assessment services, integration of multi-vendor solutions, and coordination of professional service project for Laurus. Previously, Teodoro handled professional services and consulting roles for Sayers, EMC, StorageTek, and Comdisco. He can be reached at iteodoro@laurustech.com.