Gartner Announces 26th Annual Data Center Conference

What: Gartner Data Center Conference

When: November 27- 30

Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas

Details: Cost, growth and process deeply impact the ability to keep the data center running at high-levels of effectiveness. The Gartner Data Center Conference will cover servers, IT operations, storage, business continuity and disaster recovery, with extensive coverage of the latest industry hot topic - virtualization. Our experts will also present a comprehensive look at best practices from throughout the data center field.

Gartner analysts will take a close look at servers and storage, including virtualization, consolidation, workload management, procurement, and major platforms and explain how to increase agility and service quality while reducing costs across IT operations.

They will focus on every square inch of the data center and IT operations in 6 tracks addressing the critical issues facing today's data center industry:

-- Servers & Operating Systems: This track examines each segment of the complex server marketplace, including Windows, UNIX, Linux, and z/OS markets, and the latest server deployments and technologies addressing these concerns. The data center facilities challenge and the impact of the Green IT movement on data centers will also be covered.

-- Virtualization: These sessions assess the risk and rewards of these next-generation virtualization technologies, and examine the challenges surrounding security, software licensing models, storage, management of the growing virtual environment, disaster recovery.

-- IT Operations: This track takes a closer look at IT operations and infrastructure management trends and offers practical advice on contributing to business value.

-- Storage: This track focuses on the key technology trends users must be aware of when creating cost-effective and efficient storage infrastructure during the next five years.

-- Business Continuity Management and Disaster Recovery: This track explores all aspects of implementing sound business continuity plans.

-- Best Practices: This "all-encompassing track" completes the corporate data center agenda with best-practice presentations on security, staffing, networking, SLA's, change and asset management, infrastructure consolidation and client computing architectures.

Keynotes:

*D. Michael Abrashoff, Former Naval Commander and Best-Selling Author; It's Your Ship: Mr. Abrashoff will discuss the people and process issues driving organizational transformation.

*Scott Adams, Cartoonist and Creator of National Favorite, Dilbert

*Tom Bittman, Gartner VP, Distinguished Analyst: The Future of Infrastructure & Operations

*Jay Pultz, Gartner VP, Distinguished Analyst and Donna Scott, Gartner VP, Distinguished Analyst: IT Leaders, Enhance Your Business Value with Gartner's Maturity Model

*Carl Claunch, Gartner VP, Distinguished Analyst: Top Ten Disruptive Technologies Affecting the Data Center

For complete event details, please visit the Gartner Data Center Conference Web site at www.gartner.com/us/datacenter

More than 90 companies will be exhibiting at the conference. A listing of Gartner Data Center conference exhibitors is available at www.gartner.com/us/datacenter.

Additional companies interested in participating as a Conference Sponsor should contact Brent Bodick at 203-316-1757 or at brent.bodick@gartner.com or Patrick Polk at 203-316-6819 or at patrick.polk@gartner.com.

Members of the media can register for the event by contacting Christy Pettey at christy.pettey@gartner.com.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is the indispensable partner to 60,000 clients in 10,000 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 3,900 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 75 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.