24
7X24 MAGAZINE FALL 2014
A colocation provider, on the other hand, has both the resources and talent needed to support these ongoing changes.
By partnering with a third party, a business can improve its access to talent without being responsible for hiring and
training new people. Colocation enables business leaders to focus on revenue-generating business operations.
Reliability/Uptime
Reliability is key for any data center – especially as more companies conduct business online. However, businesses may
lack the expertise necessary to keep their systems running consistently.
Many data center service providers tout the concept of the Five 9s - that is, 99.999 percent availability. This equates to
about five minutes of downtime per year. Though the reality of the Five 9s may vary from vendor to vendor, any reputable
services provider will have redundancy and fault tolerance practices in place to ensure systems run as consistently as
possible.
When you construct your own data center the incremental cost of going to each new “9” on electrical cooling is
astronomical. The cost of working with a colocation provider, however, is not only affordable but also creates a greater
level of resiliency than companies can achieve by building their own data centers.
Flexibility/Scalability
Business needs change constantly. Whether a company is growing or downsizing, its data center needs fluctuate from
quarter to quarter. When a business builds its own data center, its flexibility is restricted. Even if business activity is brisk,
it may take some time before an organization can buy the equipment necessary to support the uptick.
Likewise, if a company is suddenly forced to downsize, it will be stuck with equipment it does not need or cannot
necessarily afford to support.
Colocation and third-party data center services offer flexible, on-demand solutions that can scale to meet the company’s
specific needs, eliminating the revenue loss incurred with over- and under-investment and freeing up capital that can then
be allocated to areas of the business.
Finally, companies leaning toward “build” must ask themselves whether they are really better at handling HVAC, security,
power, and other ongoing maintenance tasks than a company whose core business is doing just that alone. The answer
is usually a resounding “no.”
Concerns with Colocation
Before diving into a colocation or third-party data center service arrangement, businesses must do their homework to ensure their
expectations are met.
Security is one area deserving oversight since organizations have historically been hesitant to send their data center operations
to third parties for security and other control reasons. Although this and many other concerns are dissipating, a company would
still be well advised to take the following into consideration:
Control
Many organizations worry about losing control of their data centers when turning to third-party services. While
understandable, this concern is no longer warranted when weighed against the benefits derived from the expertise and
reliability of a third-party service.
A third party’s reputation depends upon its ability to protect equipment and critical company data. In many cases, these
restrictions aremore stringent than the customer itself can enforce. Furthermore, a provider is likely to have a bigger talent
pool to draw from to ensure critical systems are running around the clock and able to respond to any and all situations.
Security
Most colocation and third-party services providers have strict protocols in place to control facility access. The best
colocation providers, for example, employ military-grade data center security protocols to protect all physical assets.
Top of the line data center providers offer over 7 levels of security including onsite data center security guards on staff
24 hours a day, 365 days a year; video surveillance and recording of the exterior and interior of each facility; biometric
and key card security for rigid access control; and turn-style doors to prevent tailgating.
