There is a growing trend for businesses to outsource the management of their IT equipment to third-party providers popularly known as co-location centers. These are off-site storage solutions for your corporate data, and are highly cost-effective compared to building and managing your private data center.
These centers connect multiple clients with several service providers, enabling wide access to servers, networks, and data storage space. Companies can rent physical space for their servers and hardware.
Co-location services were typically used as disaster recovery solutions but are gaining popularity with providers of cloud services as companies are increasingly migrating their technology infrastructure to the cloud.
How Businesses Use Co-Location Hosting Solutions
A co-location center offers its customers a physical building, power, bandwidth, cooling, and physical security. Lately, many facilities are offering managed services to their clients and providing staff availability around the clock.
Physical space can be leased by cabinet space, racks, cages or a private room. The colocation service provider handles the security and facility upkeep while the customer is responsible for the equipment and hardware.
Benefits of Using a Co-Location Center For Your Business
While migrating your IT infrastructure from a private data center to a colocation professional may seem like a herculean task, it has big advantages.
The major expenses of running a growing data center is handed over to the co-location facility and your company can focus its time, energy and resources on the core business needs and growth.
Let’s visit some major advantages of hiring a colocation service provider for your business:
Scalability of IT infrastructure
Opting for a co-location service allows for flexible scalability of business IT infrastructure without the worry of high capital expenditure. Colocation providers can provide for the rise in your business networking needs and can accommodate the sudden decrease in business demand.
These services are apt for companies that have outgrown their current data solutions. Customers can focus on their long-term business plans without arranging for large capital investments.
Larger Cost Savings
Co-location center providers are responsible for the building and maintenance of the data facility, and hiring a colocation space is very cost effective versus managing your own data center. Many colocation facilities provide comprehensive packages at reduced bundle-rates which offer security, support, connectivity, and redundancy.
Data is always stored in a reliable and safe environment, and contingent expenses such as power outages, maintenance of equipment and extra manpower are eliminated. Companies have more freedom to focus on business goals. With co-location services, costs are also pre-determined and accounted for in the contract.
Optimum Allocation of Resources
Besides the large capital expenditure of a private data center, there are regular operating costs to account for. This includes salaries and training of personnel, enforcing of security systems, and maintenance of IT equipment.
Leasing a colocation space enables the company to concentrate on its core operations, business growth, and optimum use of their human and capital resources.
Improved Compliance and Network Security
Co-location services enable state-of-the-art, physical security and data security and comply with cybersecurity protocol. Due to their scale of operations, they can provide multiple levels of infrastructure and data security.
This includes sophisticated security devices like electronic access cards, biometric scanners, 24/7 CCTVs, fire detection devices, and firewalls. Managed backup solutions protect physical and virtual data.
Co-location centers are strategically located to their customers’ headquarters and the on-site IT team is constantly available for support. Business data solutions need to follow various industry regulations to avoid being fined or being hit with legal proceedings. Your co-location center professional will ensure this is adhered to.
