Companies large and small are continually faced with challenges in regards to managing their IT infrastructure. Whether business is booming or slightly lagging, scalable solutions are a must. So, what is Colocation? What are the benefits, and more importantly, what drives companies to co-locate IT infrastructure? Most decision makers aren’t even sure what colocation is, let alone, if colocation is best for them. Let the following serve as an introductory guide into the world of colocation:
Defining Colocation
Managing company IT assets requires certain safeguards be put in place, be it physical or non-physical. Colocation is the physical option of placing your IT assets or infrastructure into a service provider’s data center. Colocation providers lease rack-space for servers and give clients many different options in regards to managing IT assets. Colocation is also a cost effective alternative to building an entire facility to maintain and managed company data. Companies may also expand while conserving company resources and capital. No need to worry about hiring an entire office of IT personnel.
The Benefits of Colocation
Companies who opt to “collocate” IT infrastructure can expect an annual ROI on their investment. Colocation companies employ an entire staff dedicated to maintaining, securing and improving the performance of which your confidential data is managed. This eliminates the need to construct and maintain your own data center.
More importantly, colocation services often have neutral relationships between other IP providers, worldwide. They will ensure your company network is online and optimized for fast and reliable service no matter what. Colocation facilities are redundantly backed up. Shall a natural disaster cause a power outage, the loss of data will be prevented. Benefits like these seem to give customers some much-needed peace of mind.
Is Colocation Right For Your Business?
The decision to collocate IT infrastructure is usually determined by two needs: The IT manager’s need to maintain control over IT assets, and of course, whether or not they have the capital to invest in additional IT hardware.
If companies are willing to give up some control over IT infrastructure, then colocation would be a good choice. It is important to note, that colocation still allows for flexible solutions in regards to how your data is looked after. Managed hosting for example, provides companies with the necessary hardware, tools and support needed to monitor your data 24/7.
Larger companies with the money to spend will often invest in servers and house them within a colocation facility. This is especially true if they have the IT staff necessary to look after them. Although maintaining control of data is forever important, colocation stands to save your company money no matter what type of flexible solution you are after.
Closing Arguments
To sum it up, there are a few questions you need to ask: Is the service provider providing a scalable solution? Scalable data centers should be investing in all the latest technology with regards to cooling, rack-space configurations and flexible deployment of services. Doing so will help deliver a better ROI. Is your colocation provider reliable?
A reliable colocation provider will provide efficient cooling and power redundant fail-safes and should guarantee 100 percent uptime. Lastly, make sure the service provider maintains proper physical and virtual security. Data centers should be like a fortress. After all, safeguarding your companies IT assets is a full time job and most companies are in compliance with industry standards. Colocation should be a solution for IT companies and ultimately help them save money.
About the author: James Mulvey is a blog writer for Colocation America, a company dedicated to providing clients with reliable, flexible network solutions.
