Why a comprehensive colocation, cloud and network strategy, under one roof, is the best way for businesses to achieve meaningful and cost-effective digital transformation

A lot has been made of Digital Transformation as a concept. And it can mean different things to different people and institutions. But the overarching theme is simple: using digital technologies to create new (or enhance existing) business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. Translation: do business, better.

While the theme might be simple, the process is anything but. Generally speaking, there are a few common challenges to overcome, including overall organizational resistance to change, antiquated IT infrastructure and lack of in-house expertise to get the ball rolling. In this blog, we’ll focus primarily on infrastructure and expertise since addressing these challenges first often alleviates some initial organizational indigestion.

And stay tuned for our next blog where we’ll cover each of these services in more detail and examine why a single source for colo, cloud & network is the most customized, cost-effective, and accountable solution for your business’ needs.

Colo, Cloud and Network: Greater than the sum of its parts

The business benefits of partnering with a reputable data center / colo provider are many. First, you get better connectivity and network redundancies to safeguard your mission-critical data and application flow. You get advanced security, including the latest firewalls and virus protection systems that help to prevent nefarious players from gaining access to your data. And you get all of the traditional benefits of space to grow your IT infrastructure and redundant, uninterrupted power. All very important, but alone, just one small piece of the digital transformation puzzle.

The same can be said for cloud strategies, be that full or hybrid. A cloud strategy provides several benefits, not the least of which include increased and scalable capacity, performance and cost-effectiveness. However, without access to a cloud provider, there is no cloud. There is no cloud strategy, and there is little or no room for meaningful growth. Note too that this access happens in the data center. This is an important piece of the puzzle when shopping for the right digital transformation partner. This fact alone should make choosing a partner without cloud access partnerships already in place a deal breaker.

And finally, the one piece that quite literally makes it all work, the network (see what we did there?). Without network connectivity, a data center is just a building, and the cloud is just a box in that building. The network, colocation and cloud are just cars on the ocean. Having access to a network, multiple networks, is essential to accessing your customers and the rest of the world. Network and the various ways of networking, from dark fiber to SD-WAN, is the road to your customers and to your customer’s customers.

While the above captures the importance of each piece-part, how they are integrated, how they are interconnected, and how they are deployed and managed to create a comprehensive solution can vary wildly. This is where next-generation technology economies live and die in the business digital transformation journey. And this is why partnering with a single source for your colocation, cloud and network needs can make the journey that much more efficient and profitable. It’s the sweet spot.

365 Data Centers is a leading network-centric colocation provider that owns and operates 13 carrier-neutral data centers located in strategic, primarily edge markets. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions, including secure and reliable edge colocation, nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, and DRaaS. We are that single-source provider of colo, cloud and network. We are “Technology, Humanized.”

In our next blog, we’ll take a deeper dive into the benefits of a single source for colo, cloud and network, including customization, efficiency (and accountability) and everyone’s favorites —  cost savings and ROI. Stay tuned.