As the role of the data center in the modern enterprise has evolved, so too has the process of selecting a colocation provider. While data centers were once only in charge of server housing and infrastructure maintenance, today they are at the core of hybrid cloud strategies. As data centers become integral to the day-to-day operations and long-term success of today’s businesses, how can organizations make the right decision the first time?
When selecting a highly reliable data center offered by a trusted partner, there are a few crucial elements to keep in mind. Below is our list of top indicators to look for when choosing a colocation facility.
The Key Elements of Physical Infrastructure
Physical infrastructure is one of the most common — and most crucial — elements of site and colocation provider selection. The facility itself is the backbone of any and all services a provider will offer, making it the foundation that success can be either built or lost on. When it comes to physical infrastructure, enterprises should be looking for a reliable data center that offers a few key components: strategic location, robust security, redundant power, adequate cooling, and connectivity.
Where the data center is located is critical as it can help keep it safe from uncontrollable threats like natural disasters. For instance, residing above the 500-year floodplain and away from regions like Tornado Alley adds reliability. Location can also have an impact on connectivity — is the facility located in an area with access to good fiber networking? If not, elsewhere might be better suited for businesses looking to stay more thoroughly connected. Security elements can vary widely, but both internal and external measures should be taken to ensure mission-critical and sensitive data is safe. 24x7x365 manned security, gated entry, digital surveillance, or biometric scanners are all part of a comprehensive strategy.
Redundant power and cooling play a large part in reliability and are important for ensuring workloads are highly available and performing well. Concurrently maintainable chilled water cooling systems keep equipment in an ideal environment and work well for High-Performance Computing (HPC). With concurrently maintainable chilled water cooling systems, each capacity component and distribution path elements may be taken out of service for maintenance, repair, or replacement.
When it comes to power, looking for multiple underground, concrete-encased utility feeds with fault tolerance, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), and N+1 to 2N redundancies is crucial.
Still, this isn’t just a case of ticking off the boxes, and enterprises should be careful to ensure these offerings align with their individual needs. If latency is a priority for applications, choosing a data center that is local to business locations or strategically placed near end-users should be a main factor in deciding geography. If an enterprise is looking for robust connectivity, carrier neutrality, a wealth of providers within the facility, cloud on-ramps, or even access to Internet Exchanges or subsea cable landings are big advantages. Businesses should understand their goals and tailor their choices accordingly.
A Dedicated Top-Tier Team and Superior Customer Service
Service quality and expertise are the key components that turn a data center provider or service into a truly transformational solution and a partner you can trust. This is where many enterprises can make or break their selection. IT infrastructure isn’t just equipment — it’s the heart and soul of business in the digital age, and it should be treated as such.
Similarly, a data center provider isn’t just a service provider, it’s a dedicated team that cares for this mission-critical facet of the enterprise. Our white-glove approach to service can take an infrastructure solution and mold it into a successful platform for ongoing customer growth.
Where some data center companies come from a background of buying and selling infrastructure, Data Foundry’s history is in customer success, networking, and IT. We make it our business to truly understand the demands and requirements for customers’ success, providing a tenured, knowledgeable team of experts to see it through. We maintain our own onsite electricians, network engineers, security staff, data center technicians, and NOC personnel, and we always prioritize responsive, consistently-available, hands-on support 24x7x365.
You can find these services and reliable solutions at our Texas 2 data center (as well as any of our data centers in our portfolio), a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility that you can safely tour with our data center virtual tour.
To learn more about Texas 2’s specifications and how they align with reliability, connectivity, security, and agility demands, please click here.