Space and Power Management: Optimizing Your Data Center Footprint

Space and Power Management: Optimizing Your Data Center Footprint

Efficient space and power management are increasingly crucial for data centers to maximize performance, reduce costs and minimize environmental impact in today’s digital landscape. At 365 Data Centers, we understand the importance of optimizing our data center footprint to meet the ever-growing demands of modern enterprises without compromising reliability, efficiency or scalability.

Efficient Space Utilization

The 365 Data Centers network spans 20 interconnected data centers across the United States, so maximizing the use of available space is essential to ensure data center optimization in each location. Strategies to achieve this goal can include:

  • High-Density Configurations: Implementing high-density server racks can significantly increase computing power per square foot, allowing for a more efficient use of space while reducing the data center’s overall footprint.
  • Hot and Cold Aisle Containment: Proper airflow management is crucial for both space and power efficiency. Implementing hot and cold aisle containment systems helps separate hot exhaust air from cool supply air, improving cooling efficiency and allowing for higher rack densities.
  • Modular Design: Adopting a modular approach to data center design provides opportunity for scalability and flexibility, allowing for capacity to be added as needed, which optimizes space utilization while preventing overprovisioning.

Capacity Planning and Management

Effective capacity planning is crucial for optimizing your data center footprint. Utilizing predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms can help forecast future capacity needs, allowing for proactive planning and avoiding overprovisioning. The implementation of robust asset management systems can also ensure efficient utilization of  resources and help to identify underutilized or obsolete equipment. In addition, integrating cloud services helps optimize on-premises infrastructure usage and provide flexibility in capacity management.

Power Management Strategies

Effective power management goes a long way in reducing energy consumption and operational costs. At 365 Data Centers, we strive to ensure optimal power usage across our facilities. Monitoring a data center’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) regularly helps identify areas for improvement in energy efficiency. In addition, the implementation of intelligent power distribution units (PDUs) allows for real-time monitoring and control of power consumption at the rack level, enabling better capacity planning and helping to identify opportunities for power optimization.

Continuous Monitoring and Optimization

Maintaining an optimized data center footprint is an ongoing endeavor that entails continuous monitoring and improvement. Conducting periodic audits of data center infrastructure and ensuring that staff is well-trained in best practices for space and power management are crucial aspects of that maintenance. 365 Data Centers provides 24/7/365 monitoring by trained professionals, ensuring security and reliability. For that reason, we guarantee 100% uptime of power for customers with primary and redundant circuits and are equipped to offer an ideal perfect environment to scale with growing business needs.

At 365 Data Centers, we are committed to optimizing our data center footprint through effective space and power management strategies. By implementing these approaches, we can ensure that our data centers operate at the highest possible efficiency, reducing operational costs and minimizing environmental impact. As the demand for data center services continues to grow, optimizing infrastructure and ensuring seamless scalability are essential. For more information on how our solutions can benefit your business, visit www.365datacenters.com.

The Power of Connectivity

The Power of Connectivity

How Our Proprietary Network Enhances Your Colocation and Cloud Experience

Authored by Derek Gillespie

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the power of connectivity cannot be overstated. As businesses increasingly rely on digital infrastructure, the demand for robust, seamless and secure connectivity solutions has never been more critical. At 365 Data Centers, we understand that connectivity is the backbone of successful colocation and hybrid-cloud experiences, and our proprietary network is designed to ensure and elevate such experiences for our customers.

The Backbone of Seamless Connectivity

Our proprietary network is the result of seven years of meticulous development, positioning 365 Data Centers as a leader in network-centric colocation and cloud solutions. This network spans 20 interconnected data centers and an additional 125 network Points of Presence (PoPs) across the United States, ensuring that our customers benefit from a seamless and unified network-centric colocation and cloud ecosystem. These PoPs, equipped with advanced network servers and routers, enable efficient data transfer and connectivity, crucial for meeting the demands of modern businesses.

Enhancing Colocation with Advanced Network Solutions

Colocation is not just about housing servers; it’s about ensuring that these servers can communicate effectively and securely with the outside world. Our network-centric model includes substantial IP address ownership and partnerships with over 700 peering partners. This extensive network infrastructure provides our clients with cost-effective internet connectivity and strategic advantages, enabling them to focus on their core business operations without fear of connectivity issues.

Security: A Cornerstone of Connectivity

In an era where data breaches and cyber threats are rampant, security is a top priority. Our connectivity solutions are fortified with robust security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems and encryption protocols. These measures ensure that our customers’ data is protected against cyber threats, while also complying with industry regulations and data protection standards. Secure connectivity practices also help mitigate potential downtimes, ensuring business continuity even in the face of disruptions.

Driving Efficiency and Sustainability

Effective connectivity is not just about speed. Efficiency and sustainability are key components in measuring the true effectiveness of any connectivity solution. By optimizing data routing and reducing latency, our network solutions help minimize energy consumption, aligning with the sustainability goals of today’s businesses. This operational efficiency translates into cost savings for our customers, making our colocation and cloud services not only reliable but also economically advantageous.

Simplifying Growth with Comprehensive Solutions

At 365 Data Centers, we simplify growth for businesses by offering a comprehensive suite of services under one roof. Our offerings include colocation, connectivity, IP transit, direct cloud on-ramp, cloud compute, cloud storage, back-up services, disaster recovery solutions and business continuity services, all bundled under a single master service agreement. This integrated approach ensures that our customers have access to the resources they need to scale their operations seamlessly and efficiently.

The power of connectivity is the keystone of the digital age. 365 Data Centers is committed to providing our customers with the connectivity solutions they need to thrive. Our proprietary network not only enhances the colocation and cloud experience but also empowers businesses to meet the demands of a data-driven world with confidence and security. For more information on how our solutions can benefit your business, visit www.365datacenters.com.

The Advantages of Choosing a Data Center Provider with a Proprietary Network

The Advantages of Choosing a Data Center Provider with a Proprietary Network

Authored By Bob DeSantis, CEO

Data is the new currency and choosing the right data center provider is a strategic decision that can significantly impact your business’s success. As CEO at 365 Data Centers, I want to share why opting for a data center provider with a proprietary network is a decision that offers unparalleled advantages.

Data center providers like 365 Data Centers offer a level of flexibility that is often unmatched by larger, more rigid institutional providers. Our entrepreneurial culture allows us to tailor solutions to meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring that businesses can scale efficiently and respond swiftly to market changes. Our proprietary network, developed over the past seven years, is a testament to 365’s commitment to providing bespoke connectivity solutions that cater to diverse business requirements.

Enhanced Security and Superior Connectivity

Security is a paramount concern for any business handling sensitive data. By choosing a colocation provider with a proprietary network, you gain enhanced control over your data security. Our network-centric model includes advanced security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems and encryption protocols. These are designed to protect data from cyber threats while ensuring compliance with industry standards. The ability to manage and customize security protocols provides peace of mind and reduces the risk of data breaches.

365’s proprietary network spans 20 interconnected data centers and 125 additional network Points of Presence (PoPs) across the United States, ensuring seamless connectivity and high performance. This extensive network infrastructure supports efficient data transfer, reduces latency and enhances the overall performance of your IT operations. With over 700 peering partners, we offer cost-effective internet connectivity that is both reliable, diverse and robust, enabling your business to operate without the hindrance of connectivity issues.

Cost-Effective Solutions and Strategic Partnerships

Operational efficiency and cost savings are critical in today’s competitive business environment. Our network solutions are designed to optimize data routing and minimize energy consumption, aligning with sustainability goals while reducing operational costs. By choosing an independent network-centric colocation provider, you benefit from competitive pricing models and the ability to negotiate terms that best suit your business needs. 365 Data Centers are not bound by the pricing, contractual and/or operational policy and procedure constraints inherent to the business culture of larger providers. This enables 365 to forge strategic partnerships and tailored solutions that drive innovation. Our direct connectivity to public clouds and enterprise cloud solutions facilitate hybrid cloud deployments, offering the flexibility and efficiency that modern businesses require. This ability to innovate and adapt quickly to technological advancements ensures that our customers are always at the forefront of digital transformation.

We are committed to providing exceptional service and support, ensuring that our clients have access to the resources they need to thrive. Our comprehensive suite of services, including colocation, cross connects, Layer 1, 2, and 3 network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, back-up, disaster recovery, and business continuity, is bundled under a single master service agreement, simplifying administration and management  to enhance the client experience.

Choosing a network-centric colocation and other managed services provider with a proprietary network offers significant advantages in flexibility, security, reliability, connectivity, cost efficiency, management and innovation. At 365 Data Centers, we are dedicated to delivering this value proposition to our clients, empowering them to succeed in a data-driven world. For more information on how we can enhance your business operations, visit www.365datacenters.com.

The Strategic Advantages of Network-Centric Colocation

The Strategic Advantages of Network-Centric Colocation

AUTHOR: Bob DeSantis, CEO, 365 Data Centers

Colocation has been an important element of the data center industry since the inception of the internet. In fact, early on, colocation was commonly described as being available at “internet data center facilities.” However, not all colocation is created equal. Network-centric colocation is a strategic approach to data center infrastructure investment that prioritizes both connectivity and interconnectivity. It is important for data center customers to understand how a data center operator is positioned to provide interconnectivity within and between its data centers and other connectivity options outside of the data center. The more network-centric the data center operator the more harmonious and streamlined the colocation and connectivity solution will be. 365 Data Centers is proving out the model for how network-centric colocation can be successful and provide the service provider and its customers with strategic advantages.

Interconnectivity

Unlike traditional colocation, where the focus is primarily on physical space and power, network-centric colocation places equal emphasis on creating a network ecosystem within the data center facility. This approach enables customers to leverage the benefits of a carrier-neutral interconnection platform, allowing seamless interconnection to a significant number of international, national, regional, and local carriers. 365’s colocation customers include about 110 such carriers that maintain approximately 275 Points-of Presence (“PoPs”) within 365’s 20 data center facilities. As the facilities operator, 365 can arrange instantaneous interconnection to all of these carriers via cross connects. In addition to carrier interconnection within a network-centric facility, each of 365’s data centers are redundantly interconnected to each other to enable 365 multi-site customers to transport its data efficiently and cost effectively between their production and back-up colocation deployments. Strategically, 365 partners with its carrier colocation customers to secure the transport circuit element. An important distinction related to 365’s network-centric colocation model is that the network equipment element of the network ecosystem is owned, operated, and maintained by 365, not the carriers that provide the transport circuits.  As such, in this network-centric colocation model, the data center operator controls and manages the speeds and feeds of the interconnection.

By co-locating in a network-centric data center, customers gain the ability to interconnect with any carrier, business partner, or data center within the colocation operator’s network ecosystem, regardless of the geographic location of the interconnected facility. Network-centric colocation facilities provide customers with interdependent routing capabilities, traffic engineering, and a backbone of networks that constitute “digital bunkers” during manmade or natural disasters. 365 consistently makes major investments in the network equipment and circuit elements providing interconnectivity. As a result, the company’s data center facilities serve as important regional network hubs and is one of the nation’s densest network centric-data center operators. This positioning provides customers the strategic advantages of network access flexibility, bandwidth scalability, and redundancy, which ensures optimal performance by mitigating risks associated with service disruptions.

Connectivity

The second pillar of network-centric colocation is the provider’s ability to connect outward through a nationwide fiber network with initiation and end points managed by the operator’s owned network equipment infrastructure. In addition to its 20 redundantly interconnected data centers, 365 maintains 125 additional network PoPs throughout the US that house the Company’s state-of-the-art network servers and routers which are also interconnected with each of its data centers. This model not only allows for interconnectivity within the data center ecosystem but also for customer connectivity solutions to and between each of the combined 145 PoPs within and beyond the 20 data centers.

Another critical aspect of the 365 network-centric model includes a robust internet access capability. Unlike non or lesser network-centric business models, 365’s model includes registered ownership of a substantial number of IP addresses and more than 700 peering partners. The combination of in-place nationwide PoPs for data transport connectivity, and substantial IP address ownership coupled with significant peering partner connections to deliver the lowest cost internet connectivity, provides a full spectrum connectivity value proposition that further solidifies the strategic operating and cost advantage to both customers and the network-centric colocation provider.

Cloud services are also an important component of connectivity. Network-centric data centers, like 365, are designed to best serve a customer’s hybrid cloud requirements by providing several public cloud direct connectivity options. Customers are empowered to connect steady workloads that run in either the data center operator’s colocation or cloud instance with peak and valley workloads that are run in a public cloud environment. This combination best enables and supports the customer’s public cloud initiatives.

With the demands of AI technology for colocation space and power already on the horizon, colocation providers that are also network-centric and equipped to provide all of the interconnectivity and connectivity solutions described above and their customers will have a strategic competitive advantage. This is because the explosion of AI data which will be stored at colocation facilities will, to a great extent, also need to be transported. Colocation operators that are truly network-centric and their customers are best prepared to both store and transport the anticipated increases in data volume in the most flexible and cost-efficient manner. In addition, a significant portion of AI data will need to be stored close to where it is created and used. This also provides network-centric colocation service providers located in “edge” second tier markets and their customers a strategic advantage. 

365 Data Centers has spent over six years honing its network-centric colocation business and leading the way in delivering network-centric solutions. We have first-hand knowledge of what it looks like and how to define it. We trust this overview provides a front row seat to the operator and customer strategic advantages of network-centric colocation.

Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about our network-centric collocation and hybrid cloud solutions for your digitally savvy business.

 

365 Data Centers adds eight new data center locations across the U.S.

365 Data Centers Adds Eight New Data Center
Locations Across the U.S.

Through the recent acquisition of the US colocation and network business of Sungard
Availability Services, 365 Data Centers has added eight new data centers across the country.
The new locations (indicated with red pins) include:

  • Alpharetta, GA
  • Aurora, CO
  • Carlstadt, NJ
  • Marlborough, MA
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Rancho Cordova, CA
  • Richardson, TX
  • Smyrna, GA

365 Data Centers now features a total of 20 network-centric data centers spanning the country from coast to coast (existing locations indicated with gold pins.) With these new data centers, 365 now serves approximately 1,700+ carrier, content, and enterprise customers in these high-demand markets. For more information on colocation and networking services offered by 365 Data Centers, contact [email protected]

The Top 5 Network Challenges Faced by IT Professionals (Infographic)

The Top 5 Network Challenges Faced by IT Professionals (Infographic)

IT professionals have more to deal with today than they ever have before. In organizations of all sizes, across all disciplines, networking has become a complex and interconnected maze of technology possibilities and dangerous pitfalls. The challenges come from all corners: old infrastructure, a rise in cybercrime, increased demand for capacity, and the list goes on and on.

In a recent study conducted by InformationWeek with Network Computing, 300 IT professionals were interviewed extensively, and they reported five key themes that have arisen as the core issues they’re facing. See the infographic for a visualization of these findings ›

Challenge #1: Network security (40%)

Over the last several years, the reports of cyberattacks, phishing scams and other forms of malware releases have increased as much as 59%. Networking professionals report spending nearly half of their time ensuring networking security. As networks become larger and more complex, and organizations try to plan and position for growth, these concerns are understandable: more nodes require more security protocols.

Challenge #2: Reducing Costs (21%)

While many respondents reported that their organizations are increasing their networking budgets and deploying new technologies, roughly one in five respondents still cited reducing costs overall as a challenge. More than half of respondents reported that network security spending has increased by five percent to more than ten percent in the last two years. As a result, their budgets are stressed in other areas, and they seek cost-cutting measures across other areas, such as network maintenance and staffing.

Challenge #3: Staff/Training Issues (19%)

Perhaps as a result of increased spending on security and other networking requirements, staffing and training new team members are two areas that have grown as a concern for IT managers. Whether it was employee burnout from COVID-19 or linked to other causes, the respondents in this survey cited this as a key challenge. As an example, network managers must train both IT professionals and non-professionals how to spot basic phishing scams. And it goes further: respondents also cited issues with “training” upper management on understanding the complexities of IT networking and related costs, particularly when executives and boards are hyper-focused on profitability.

Challenge #4: Network Resiliency (15%)

For most IT managers, ensuring smooth and continuous uptime across their network is practically a full-time job. While some opt for network redundancy, costs can again become an issue for the additional physical or virtual hardware. Those who opt for more advanced recovery operations (usually at more competitive costs,) are choosing SD-WAN controllers and other software-driven network automation solutions to prevent bottlenecks, reduce complexity and increase network visibility.

Challenge #5: Supporting Hybrid and Remote Workforces (15%)

In addition to the staff/training issues reported by respondents, they are equally concerned with figuring out how to support an organization that is either entirely remote or a hybrid mix. This also includes ensuring end-user productivity, unified communications systems, and other network stressers. While Internet access and local network strength at every remote point is always an unknown, organizations now must deal with more remote VPNs and/or authentication structures, and how to route traffic to keep network performance high.

—

We see you, IT professionals and network managers. At 365 Data Centers, our network services are designed to help you address these day-to-day challenges. Reliability and security are our forte, and our network services can offset the technical challenges associated with a remote workforce. We run a robust, never-oversubscribed nationwide network with peering partners to route traffic through multiple diverse paths that minimizes network congestion and maximizes uptime. We also leverage military-grade encryption to further ensure uptime by bolstering the security of your network.

Our highly experienced engineers can also help supplement your existing IT staff, whether that be through our 24/7/365 monitoring and support, helping you migrate to a cloud solution, providing expert advice, or more.

If your organization needs dedicated Internet access, private wavelengths, or even dark fiber deployments, our skilled technicians and helpful account representatives can help you meet your challenges, and gain piece of mind with a healthy and secure network. Contact [email protected] today for a review of your network, and let’s #transformyourtech together.

About 365 Data Centers

365 Data Centers is a leading network centric colocation provider operating 13 carrier-neutral data centers located in strategic, primarily edge markets. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes secure and reliable edge colocation, nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, DRaaS, BaaS, and business continuity services.

Is Colocation Right for your Business?

Is Colocation right for your business?
5 key benefits you can realize today

No matter what business you’re in, you likely rely on technology in some way. For many businesses, IT systems and networking are central to keeping core operations afloat. And even if you have strong IT expertise on staff, colocation is still a valuable addition to your overall IT infrastructure. It provides numerous benefits for your business, and we’ve outlined five of the most important below.

  1. Safety/Security

By far the most important aspect of colocation is the extra layer (and often several layers) of security it offers your business. Colocation offers multiple layers of protection for your critical equipment and sensitive information from threats such as power outages and natural disasters. Data centers are secure facilities that are compliant with all modern regulations, delivering constant power and cooling for your equipment. They are physically manned with security personnel, and customer cabinets are kept under lock and key. Plus, the data centers are managed by experienced technical staff to help ensure your equipment – and the information on it – stays secure with 24/7/365 monitoring of all systems.

  1. Customized Setup

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of colocation is that your company is using its own servers and its own hardware, housed in a physically separate location. That means your company can configure its entire setup the way your organization prefers. This is a major distinction between colocation centers and cloud providers, which use their own hardware and may charge you for additional computing and networking fees, depending on the type, size, and complexity of your IT infrastructure.

  1. Expertise

A colocation facility will often have highly skilled technology professionals on staff to help ensure your network and your equipment is running smoothly. Whenever you need it, you can connect to round-the-clock support for systems analysis, troubleshooting, advanced monitoring and reporting, and much more.

  1. Flexibility/Scalability

When you choose a colocation facility, you’re never locked into a single solution. The benefits of flexible options are built into the colocation concept. If your business grows, and you need more computing power, or need to add new team members on the network, there’s always room to expand your physical footprint in the same data center. If your business relocates locally, you can keep all your equipment in one place until you’re settled into your new location, then reconnect – with the help of the colocation service team – and be up and running again almost immediately. If you relocate across state lines, you will likely have to move your equipment to a new colocation center. (Note: 365 Data Centers has colocation facilities across the United States and could help you facilitate such a move in this instance to one of our nearby locations.)

  1. Financial Efficiency

What most businesses don’t realize is how financially advantageous it can be to leverage colocation services. When companies try to DIY their IT infrastructure, they face a steep upfront investment – needing the space, power, cooling capacity, racks, and support staff to keep their equipment running smoothly. In a colocation environment, everything –the space, the power, the cooling, the security, and the support is amortized to a manageable monthly fee.

Whatever the status is with your current technology, you can consider colocation services as an advantageous next step for your business. When you partner with 365 Data Centers, you get the core services outlined in the sections above, standard. Plus, we’ll customize a technology solution to meet your exact needs so you can realize all these benefits and much more. Contact [email protected] today for a review of your systems, and let’s #transformyourtech together.

About 365 Data Centers

365 Data Centers is a leading network centric colocation provider operating 13 carrier-neutral data centers located in strategic, primarily edge markets. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes secure and reliable edge colocation, nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, DRaaS, BaaS, and business continuity services.

Is your organization READY TO GO VIRTUAL?

Is your organization READY TO GO VIRTUAL?

In modern enterprise and network management lingo, “virtualization” is a current buzzword, although the concept and implementation have been around for decades. The term virtualization was derived from the idea of turning a single physical server into multiple virtual servers utilizing either a single or multiple software applications.

In most computer network systems, a single server runs one or more software applications on a single operating system on its hardware. While that seems simple and logical, it often leaves a large amount of computing power unused. And as organizations grow, this can lead to a great deal of wasted processor power and hardware resources essentially sitting idle even as the computing needs may be expanding.

Through the process of virtualization, a single server can be transformed into multiple – virtual – resources. Through this process, each server is transformed into multiple virtual machines, each running its own operating system independent of the others on the same physical server. The process is achieved through a special type of software called a hypervisor, that manages the new virtual systems, each now capable of operating as an independent machine with a specific function, and running its own various applications.

Advantages of virtualization

There are numerous benefits to virtualization, the first and most obvious being the financial benefits of full server utilization, typically meaning less required servers online.

Virtualization also helps with overall information technology management, as consolidated systems are easier to manage, often with the same or fewer resources. This also means backup and storage functions can be streamlined across the network.

In addition, the virtualized environment offers flexibility and scalability for any organization. With the ability to run multiple operating systems on a single server, it creates additional functionality for the organization – now various teams can be running different types of applications on different operating systems all located in a single physical server. And once a virtual machine is set up, it can be copied to another server anywhere on the network for immediate use by another member of the organization. Often, a virtual machine can be moved to another server with little to no interruption in workflow.

Finally, virtualization has become popular as a methodology for general maintenance and disaster recovery. Since virtual machines offer a host of backup/copy functions, organizations are often able to mitigate losses during disruptions or outages.

Contact us to learn about a virtualized environment for your organization through 365 Data Centers.

About 365 Data Centers

365 Data Centers is a leading network centric colocation provider operating 13 carrier-neutral data centers located in strategic, primarily edge markets. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes secure and reliable edge colocation, nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, DRaaS, BaaS, and business continuity services.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Understanding Edge Computing and its Benefits

Understanding Edge Computing and its Benefits

In today’s modern world of data, there’s a lot written about the cloud and why it’s so valuable. And it’s true – cloud computing offers innumerable benefits for data storage, backup and security. But in many ways, the cloud is the 18-wheeler of the information superhighway. Edge Data Centers are more like speedy convertibles.

Edge computing is typically handled at smaller, networked data centers located in or very near (at the “edge” of) the areas they serve. This physical proximity enables quick up/download and processing of information to and from client systems before being sent to the cloud. Edge and cloud work hand in hand – with Edge running fewer processes in shorter time frames, and cloud handling the heavy lifting.

The primary benefit of Edge computing is speed-related, due to lower latency, but it also aids in creating more efficient methods of processing data that are needed on a regular basis. The way Edge servers are configured allows for efficient traffic flow between networks. Because Edge servers are generally processing fewer requests, they’re able to cache data efficiently and keep things moving quickly.

Bandwidth is another excellent benefit of Edge computing. Because Edge Data Centers are networked, data requests can be handled from several Edge centers to deliver more throughput in the same or less time.

And most welcome to end-users is the cost-effectiveness of Edge computing. These Data Centers are typically smaller than larger facilities, and are customized to the needs of users, requiring less hardware and maintenance time.

Faster, more flexible, cost-efficient and scalable – these are words being used to describe Edge computing, and for good reason. Contact us to learn how 365 Data Centers can help your business with Edge computing.

About 365 Data Centers

365 Data Centers is a leading network centric colocation provider operating 13 carrier-neutral data centers located in strategic, primarily edge markets. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes secure and reliable edge colocation, nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, DRaaS, BaaS, and business continuity services.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

What is Colocation and How Does it Compare to the Public Cloud?

Edge Data Center Operator Continues to Execute on Network-Centric Colocation Strategy and Doubles Customer and Revenue Base

Colocation is the practice of housing privately-owned servers and networking equipment in a third-party data center. Instead of the in-house scenario where servers live within a room or a section of an organization’s own business infrastructure, there is the option to “co-locate” equipment by renting space in a colocation data center (also known as a third-party data center).

When migrating assets to a colocation center, keep in mind that:

  • It is a shared facility. With colocation, companies share the cost of power, cooling, communication and data center floor space with other tenants. It is cheaper than building a new data center.
  • It is best for businesses that require full control over their equipment. Companies can maintain their own equipment the same way they do when servers are installed in-house.
  • It addresses the limitations of an existing data center. Instead of building a new data center, businesses can simply augment their current data center by using the space in a colocation facility.
  • It can provide access to higher levels of bandwidth. Housing data hardware in a colocation data center gives companies access to higher levels of bandwidth compared to a normal office server room at a much lower cost.
  • It has higher reliability. Data centers in a colocation facility are more reliable. They offer greater protection from power outages because of the numerous data backups in place and provide low-latency networking options.
  • It provides higher levels of physical protection. Colocation centers apply more stringent measures for securing data such as CCTV monitoring, private suites, mantraps, fire detection, and suppression systems.

How does colocation compare with the public cloud?

The main difference between colocation and the public cloud is the way the data is stored and managed. It is a matter of having physical assets versus virtual ones. Like colocation, cloud-based infrastructure services offer cost savings because of shared facilities. But, that is where their similarities end. In terms of cloud services, the cloud provider manages your servers, storage and network elements. The provider’s staff (not your own) is responsible for setting up these elements, cutting capital expenditure and operating expenditure costs. Colocation requires businesses to set up their own servers, storage and network elements. The downside of this is the additional costs involved in making the move.

Many businesses consider cloud-based services because they prefer to use their data centers for more productive tasks in expanding the business. Others select a cloud provider because of the flexibility of being able to rapidly scale data capacity up or down based on fluctuating business needs.

Understanding how the provider controls access to the environment, manages infrastructure resources, and addresses change management without being physically present is another advantage of migrating to the cloud.

But the convenience of the cloud has its downsides. Cloud providers may offer the advantage of managing data for businesses, but the conflict lies whenever data expands. More data means additional storage and costs. That’s why experts believe that it is less costly to build a physical data center via data colocation. This route is more flexible because businesses only rent the space for all assets, which is different from renting the asset itself (the cloud storage) that will be limited based on the subscription.

The Bottom Line

Colocation and cloud services offer businesses alternatives to housing their data. Based on their specific requirements, each service has its unique pros and cons. Does your business put a higher premium on delivery or data security? Do your assets require full control or is convenience your main priority?

Knowing the colocation service that best fits your business needs can go a long way in determining the best course of action.

Learn More About Colocation

About 365 Data Centers

365 Data Centers is a leading network centric colocation provider operating 13 carrier-neutral data centers located in strategic, primarily edge markets. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes secure and reliable edge colocation, nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, DRaaS, BaaS, and business continuity services.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn