Data centers are in integral part of the enterprise, and as an organization expands, the question of whether to independently run the data center or leverage a colocation facility tends to come into play.

Increasingly, we’re seeing enterprises choose to leverage hybrid data center models – a combination of legacy, private cloud, and public cloud infrastructures. With this trend, organizations are realizing that owning a data center is no easy feat.

Here are some of the key benefits enterprise IT managers are experiencing once they make the move to a colocation facility:

 

• Cost-Effective
  Moving to a collation facility can make it easier to increase your operational expenditure (OPEX) than get perpetual capital expenditure (CAPEX) to build, own, and operate your own data center, resulting in a more cost-effective and efficient option.

 

• Ability to Refocus on the Business
  Freeing up your time and focus from operating a data center, you can dedicate more of your efforts on supporting the key goals of your business and your customers, not supporting the data center itself.

 

• Flexibility
  In a colocation facility, you can easily scale your environment to align with the business. These days, colocation providers are offering more than just space, power, and cooling, they can deliver comprehensive data center solutions that can support your long-term scalability and growth.

 

Selecting the right colocation provider for your business should involve careful decision making. Redundant systems will ensure that your business will continue to operate and that you can serve your customers, no matter what unforeseen events may arise. Here are our top 5 considerations you should keep in mind before signing the dotted line:

5 Key things to Consider When Selecting A Colocation Service Provider

1. Network Carrier Redundancy

When analyzing potential colocation service providers, take a look into their carrier network connectivity. Your provider should have the ability to be carrier neutral and have a variety of potential network carriers. This provides you with cost-effective redundancy and flexibility with your long-term strategy.

 

2. Geographic Location

Pick your location wisely as you are ultimately responsible for the installation and maintenance of your servers. We advise choosing a data center that is easily accessible to your organization, especially in case of emergency. Consider the geographic area of where the data center is located – data centers tend to cluster around geographically sounds areas that aren’t prone to natural disasters and have a steady supply of water and power. Additionally, consider if the provider has multiple centers across the country. This offers an additional layer of redundancy and reliability.

 

3. Transitional Services

Look for a provider that offers a comprehensive managed service portfolio that will allow them to support your business in the long-term. Taking advantage of managed services will free up your team’s time, so they can support your key business objectives while your colocation provider ensures that your infrastructure operates smoothly.

 

4. Security and Compliance

Always of key priority you should ideally ensure that you have multiple levels of physical security inside and outside of the data center. Ensure that you aware of the colocation facility’s security best practices and the disaster recovery plans behind them. In regard to compliance, be wary of false claims and ensure that your provider can verify their level of compliance certification.

 

5. Future Growth

The right colocation provider should have the ability to support your growth objectives. You should look for a partner that can evolve with your IT team and business objectives as you grow, helping you to expand in areas such as power and space. If your partner offers a variety of services, you are in a better place to take advantage of the vast digital ecosystem that they can provide.

Don’t just consider the physical aspect of the facility – that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Take the time to understand how the facility is operated, how their clients are treated, what kind of flexibility that facility has on space, and what support they provide to their clients.

Each of these factors are critical to whether your colocation experience will be a success. Looking for an added layer of support in selecting the colocation provider that aligns best with your business goals? Get in touch with the MacroNet team, today!