Social Media & the Data Center RFP Process
By: Dan Fanning, LEED AP, DC CEP, HCC - Data Center Projects & Engineering Manager
“Social media provides a virtual megaphone to share our voice with the world through our mobile devices and keyboards” (Bolton, Galvin, Kilbourne). In a white paper presented at this year’s SMPS Build Business 2011, entitled The Client’s Use of Social Media and Social Networking, authors Bolton, Galvin, and Kilbourne introduced several imaginative ways that firms are using social media today to connect, communicate, and collaborate in line with their goals.
The authors of this white paper approached EDI to contribute a case study regarding EDI’s recent experience with a new RFP process that resulted in a successful bid.
In July 2010 eBay employed the power of the web and social media to facilitate an open RFP process for its Modular Data Center in Phoenix, which was awarded to EDI. “EDI had not experienced a process like this previously. It was surprising to see an open design competition that was put out to anyone who was qualified, and it really gave firms that were not as well known an equal chance to compete. eBay and Data Center Pulse have provided a model for firms in other areas of design and construction to open up their process. Firms that see the benefit of collective intelligence and collaboration in design will be the first to adopt this strategy” (Nash-Boulden - EDI).
Click here to learn more about eBay's open RFP process
Click here to purchase and download the SMPS white paper
For more information on EDI’s Data Center Services, please contact Dan Fanning at dfanning@ediltd.com.
Authors:
Holly Bolton, CPSM, Director of Marketing - CE Solutions, Inc.
Dana Galvin, CPSM, Corp. Communications Director - Barton Malow
Adam Kilbourne, CPSM, Director of Marketing - TEC Inc. Engineering & Design