Colocation is a ‘carrier hotel’ where business enterprise rent space to store their data along with power, bandwidth, cooling systems, servers, telecommunication systems, and other equipment. Space is rented out to clients in terms of racks or cabinets depending on the requirement of the enterprises.
Data protection, cloud backup, and access to data 24*7 are some of the reasons why collocations are a hit in the market. Also known as colo is short, these data centers are multi-tenant storage buildings designed to accommodate the data of numerous enterprises while providing each of them with specific and personal services.
The best colo provider is the one which can provide ultimate security to the data stored with them and also be cost-effective. Enterprises cannot or do not want to invest a huge amount of money in building the infrastructure to design and maintain a data center exclusively for their usage.
When the colo providers offer them the same level of exclusivity in terms of equipment and additional systems at a lower cost, it becomes a viable option for the enterprises. Maintaining and constantly upgrading the data centers is a task for the providers. The enterprises can focus on the core aspects of their business while the colo providers handle the data related issues.
- Disaster Recovery or Reduced Risk of Natural Disasters
- The colocations are located in places which are marked as safe zones or zones with minimum risk of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.
- This makes them ensure that they can provide uninterrupted access to the data stored in the colocations.
- Economies of Scale
- As discussed above, colo providers offer the best services to enterprises for a price that would be much less than the cost incurred to maintain the entire thing exclusively by the businesses.
- Also, the best colo provider manufactures around 80% of its data center. This enables them to offer services for a lesser price than the competitors in the market.
- Flexibility
- Enterprises are free to choose the space they want to rent and the systems that come with it. Some enterprises give high importance to security and prefer not to share the power, cooling and other systems with co-tenants.
- Some enterprises prefer to distribute the cost and share the resources while keeping the storage space for themselves.
- Physical Security
- If a colo provider cannot provide enough security to keep the data safe, then the colo provider is undoubtedly failing in providing the right services to the clients.
- The best colo provider has come up with latest standard facility known as the Tier 5 Platinum which has been hailed as one of the best in the industry.
- The exterior walls are built using non-flammable materials and are windowless while the doors are reinforced with steel.
- Motion activated video surveillance at strategic places and the recordings are retained for at least 90 days.
- Every rack, server, cabinet is securable individually.
- Access to the network systems and asset systems are also secured and under surveillance.
- Restricted access to the data center with biometric and pre-approved PINs.
- Seven-layer security system when periodically rotating staff members.
- Eco-Friendly Colocation
- Not all colo providers focus on trying to find alternate sources of energy to power the data centers.
- The colo provider that uses local, renewable energy and substitutes natural resources, thereby doing their bit to save the environment while providing excellent services to their clients is without question the best colo provider in the industry.
- Power and Cooling Systems
- Permanently installed monitor in the stored energy system.
- Fully functional multiple power stations that supply uninterrupted power.
- A system that detects the outside air pollution and maintains the optimum temperatures in the data center while preventing the pollution from entering inside the data center.
- Can run the data centers without water forever.
Hyperscalability is another feature of the colocations. A data center should be able to accommodate the growing requirements of the enterprises by providing them with additional space to store their data in a short period of time.