Colocation: Back to the Basics

COLOCATION BACK TO THE BASICS Colocation can be defined as storing your telecom equipment (server, router, cables, software, etc.) in a third-party data center, or internet service provider. In return, the data center provides floor-space, internet access, electrical power, climate control, and security for your equipment. ACCORDING TO DATA CENTER MAP THERE IS CURRENTLY 1126 DATA CENTERS ÎN THE UNITED STATES OFFERING COLOCATION SERVICES. WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE COLOCATION? Space Many companies seek colocation ser- vices simply because they have out- grown their own space. By choosing colocation you are gaining valuable real estate to house your telecom equipment. A data center provides a space solely dedicated to keep you up and running and eliminates the capi- tal investment of maintaining your own data center. Security Providing security to your data is stan- dard for data centers. Equipped with surveillance, key-card access, alarm systems, and on staff security, data centers can protect your most valu- able data at a greater level. Do your research to see which companies are going above and beyond when it comes to security measures. Ownership As the owner of your telecom equip- ment, you have full control over the servers and software. If you decide operations are running too slow or you could use more memory, you can simply upgrade the equipment yourself. Cost Savings Outsourcing your servers to a data center can reduce your bandwidth costs. Since you are directly acquir- ing the data centers resources, you are able to prorate a fraction of the bandwidth. Location Emergency Preparedness To combat inclement weather and natural disaster, data centers are prepared to protect your equipment. While you may currently take pre- cautionary measures to keep your servers safe, like obtaining an on-site generator and back-up fuel, potential risk can be substantially minimized with the expert emergency systems of data centers. Once you have chosen a data center you have the space to securely store your equipment. This means a change to your address will not affect your data, as it will all be maintained in a single place. In addition, data cen- ters are built solely to house telecom equipment. Therefore, their location is evaluated to minimize the risk of external factors in the surrounding area. Contact Patrick Hosting today for all of your colocation needs www.patrickhosting.com