Offbeat Data Center Commercials

Who are Green Data Center Man and the Fabric Fanatic? And when did Mr. T obtain the power to use Force Lightning to virtualize IT equipment? To find the answers, we present a collection of offbeat video commercials by data center vendors. No dry PowerPoint presntations or demos here! These are a few if the many examples found on YouTube, which we've highlighted for being different or funny or bizarre - sometimes all at the same time.

EMC Goes Heavy Metal
If a spontaneous rock-and-roll performance breaks out in the data center, will heavy metal fans rush to purchase support contracts from EMC Global Services? I'm not sure, but it's an entertaining effort. Our favorite rhyme: "It's EMC, and they're calling to say ... that they just fixed my storage array."

Mr. T is Gonna Virtualize You!
My personal favorite, and easily the most bizarre and hilarious video of the bunch, features Mr. T walking through walls to share the merits of Hitachi Data Systems. "I put the 'T' in IT," he proclaims. "Now I'm gonna virtualize you fools!" At one point, Mr. T devours the evil consultant's brain. "Tastes like chicken!" he proclaims.

Voltaire: Mad About the Unified Fabric
A chief information officer becomes a "fabric fanatic," and his wife is not entirely sure what to do about it. This video from switch vendor Voltaire invokes "Risky Business" in an unexpected way. Is this your CIO?

IBM: Green Data Center Man
Do spikes shoot out of your data enter wall when hot spots flare up? Green Data Center Man from IBM also depicts a C-Level executive gaining superpowers to save the day. Pet peeve: Why is there a ficus in the data center?

APC: Your Buddies Would Never Do This!
This is one of a series of short videos from APC depicting data center technicians caught on camera in activities that are unlikely to thrill management.