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Server Consolidation Gone Wrong

A planned $35 million server consolidation project may cost the state of Wisconsin at least $71 million to complete.

Server consolidation projects can save an organization tons of money when they're done well. But poor execution on a data center consolidation project can be expensive, as demonstrated by the state government in Wisconsin, which is behind schedule and over budget on its server consolidation (link via John Rath).

The Wisconsin Department of Administration leased a 57,000 square foot Madison data center in April 2006, which was supposed to eventually accommodate 2,000 servers but currently houses just 120. The projected $35 million data center consolidation has no timetable for completion, and officials expect to spend another $36 million over the next two years - for a projected $71 million by mid-2009. Read the full story.