For multiple businesses, the services of a data center colocation provider remain better than public or private clouds. A colocation provider tends to offer better connectivity, optimized network security, redundant power supply, excellent capability, and so on. Once you have chosen to use a colocation facility, it’s time to pick a provider that will suit your company the best. Keep reading to discover several essential tips to consider while deciding which colo provider is better.
Five considerations while choosing the best colocation provider
1. The right location
Many companies refer to colo data centers because they typically offer colocation facilities where cloud providers don’t provide any services. This factor is essential if your workload requires certain geographic regions for some reason. Keep in mind that different colocation providers ensure different locations near the priority geographies or not. This way, a location factor might be significant whether business workload needs some specific aspects for hosting.
2. Stability and scalability
Compare the stability guarantees to determine which colo provider suits you the best. Some colocation centers provide power backups and reliable networking, while others offer effective disaster recovery plans and more. Again, some colocation companies have something that others don’t. Additionally, you might be interested in some customized solutions that will bring you more flexibility. Select a colo provider that can meet your requirements and scale your business. Determine your needs regarding highly available workloads to choose the best colo provider.
3. Network ecosystem
Modern colocation companies offer high-performing network connectivity that ensures faster operations. At the same time, the great benefit of colocation remains the ability to interconnect in a shared space of a data center. However, interconnect solutions can vary from provider to provider. Whether your business demands connection to a specific cloud environment, then an interconnect factor might matter for you. If you want to connect with partners and distributors – available connectivity options will be helpful, too. Compare network connectivity and interconnect solutions in a few providers to make the right decision.
4. Managed services
For some companies, managed colocation services are essential due to the assistance while managing the infrastructures. This option is great for everyone who doesn’t have expertise in colocation. Still, whether you can manage infrastructure on your own, then managed services won’t work for you. Consider this factor while deciding which colo provider is better to select.
5. Reliability
A reliable colocation company means you can easily rely on it. You need to check up on the customers` feedback, reviews, staff certifications, and other documents to ensure a provider is trustworthy. Another thing to look at is that a colo provider should be reliable at least 99.999%, as shown in the uptime indicator. Reliability matters while selecting the right colocation provider.