Colocation is a viable hosting option for many businesses. Third-party colocation can provide the same features of a large-scale IT infrastructure without the overhead and revenue required to build a private facility.
Colocation Basics
Colocation is the storing of a company's IT infrastructure in a data center with other tenants. Once set up, the company will pay the colocation center to provide certain facility services. The center will provide the power, security, privacy and bandwidth required for the company's server to run.
Advantages of Colocation
The advantages of colocation can vary depending on the needs of the business. Naturally, the biggest advantage to using a center of colocation comes from the availability of bandwidth. Low-cost bandwidth for businesses is typically limited. So, bandwidth using a single server in a colocation center can provide higher speeds, but for a low cost. The savings can grow exponentially if the center of colocation offers access to T1 lines.
A colocation center has a high level of protection against outages. This can be beneficial during harsh weather where power can be lost for hours or even days. When a business relies on in-house servers, it will likely lose power during outages and be unable to operate. With a center of colocation, a power outage at the physical business location will not impact the power at the center of colocation. In addition, it has redundant sources of power, so if one fails; another is there to fill in. Quality colocation centers will also have backup generators or UPS units. So, a company will still be up and running while the power is out.
Companies can either install their own equipment at a center or rent it. If they choose to use a colocation for center's servers, the center handles all upgrades, etc. Therefore, the facility will upgrade the servers if it feels there is not enough memory or the server hardware is out of date. That means the business does not have to worry about upgrading and paying the costs when it needs to expand its data storage.
As a business grows, it may need to move into a larger facility. Storing data in-house can cause a company to shut down its servers and, thus, its business for relocation. This can be devastating for a business that relies heavily on its IT infrastructure. With colocation, that business can relocate while leaving its servers running the entire time.
Unlike the minimal security a business likely provides for its servers, colocation centers are built with security in mind. These locations are surrounded by physical security barriers as well as digital. That means that the data stored at a center of colocation is more secure than the typical on-site storage. Furthermore, the center employs onsite staff to maintain the security and integrity of the system around the clock.
Colocation may have a high price tag at first, but for business owners operating on critical data, no price is too high. The use of a colocation center can be the difference between constant service and costly downtime.
George Baylor discusses colocation opportunities in the Houston Area. He believes Colocation should be considered by any company that wants to keep data safe. George helps educate readers about the benefits of colocation and data centers for companies of all sizes.
