TELUS Business Solutions is starting these checklist discussions to gather all your thoughts on "The Ultimate IT Checklists". If you have something to add to this checklist, please "reply" below! You can also start your own IT checklist by clicking the "Start a list" button here: http://bit.ly/mItHWR

How do you avoid a potentially costly (and career limiting) mistake when  procuring a new data centre? Click "Reply" below to add to the  list.

1. SLA  – get it in writing, and if you don’t like their standard SLA ask for better SLA  in your contract.
2. Recommendations  from other clients.
3. I  always ask for their solution to a scenario I need assistance with. For example,  I currently have 4 dozen servers, I want to switch to a more efficient  virtualized solution – what assistance can you provide with this? What I’m  looking for is access to experts to speak to me on a technical level, not sales  level. Also, creative solutions and a migration path, holding my hand through  the process. With the workplace evolving to squeezing out more from every  resource we need to be able to rely on solid partnerships with our vendors.