What is Colocation?

,
PCnet_July_BlogImage_4

As more businesses are transitioning to the cloud, they’re mainly taking advantage of public cloud environments. However, if your business is growth-oriented, you may be discouraged by the lack of control your team has over how public cloud resources are stored, managed, and allocated. If that’s the case, colocation may be an option worth exploring. In this post, we’ll break down the fundamentals of colocation and provide some tips for selecting the right colocation facility.

The Fundamentals of Colocation

Colocation is a server hosting model in which a data center houses your organization’s server infrastructure and other network hardware, while your team oversees how the server environment is managed and supported. This platform allows your team access to an off-site data center without the steep capital expenditures of building your own data center. At the same time, colocation enables you to host a private cloud or disaster recovery platform without having to tie up additional space at your facility.

If you choose to use colocation services, you can either have an internal IT team oversee your colocation system or partner with a managed service provider (MSP) to handle server colocation for your organization.

What to Look for in a Colocation Data Center

As you research colocation data centers, make sure to consider these factors before making a decision:

Existing Infrastructure

Does the data center have the existing infrastructure to support the scale and hardware you’re planning to deploy? Determine whether the data center has the power and cooling capabilities your infrastructure will demand.

Operations and Maintenance

While you’re responsible for managing how your network is operated and maintained, the data center should have maintenance procedures and a maintenance team to sustain the rest of the facility’s infrastructure. Make sure their maintenance plans align with your expectations and that they’re willing to work alongside your team.

Pricing Models

How does the data center provider price its services? Many providers charge a fixed fee for space and capacity while adding additional charges for power, cooling, and supplemental services. Take the time to ensure the pricing models cost-effectively address your needs to prevent the risk of surprise expenses later.

Security Procedures

While your team is responsible for cybersecurity on your network, the data center facility should accept responsibility for the physical security of your equipment along with your specific industry compliance requirements. Hashing out these details before committing to a data center can ensure your colocation platform remains secure.

Springfield’s Colocation Service Experts

If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities of colocation for your organization, contact the experts at PCnet today. We’ll help you explore your options and leverage our network of colocation data centers to design and deploy a colocation platform around your needs. Once we’ve accomplished that goal, we’ll even help you manage and maintain your network to guarantee ongoing success.