Despite having served some enterprises well in the past, the on-premises data center is quickly being phased out of the contemporary IT framework. As data demands grow quickly and become increasingly complex, many businesses are looking to step out of the data center ownership role in order to focus on more strategic core initiatives.
Overall, the decline in on-premises data centers and the rise in moving key equipment and workloads into colocation facilities can be attributed to the need to shed unnecessary costs and avoid resource drainage. Today, the demands on the data center outstrip what many enterprises can successfully achieve with internal teams, so an on-premises strategy may often just draw capital and skills away from main business goals.
Now, as more businesses are looking to enhance their performance, cost efficiency, and security with a colocation strategy, it’s more important than ever to know how to create success in an off-premises data center. Here are a few tips to help you optimize your colocation strategy.
Know Your Colocation and Deployment Needs Before Finding A Partner
Not all colocation services are created equal. Other facilities might contain the same building locks, although, they may have different strengths. This is why knowing the needs of your business and individual deployment requirements are important from the beginning. For example, if scalability is important, maybe you’re seeking a multi-cabinet private cage but are anticipating growth in the future. You might want to look for a colocation facility that offers room to grow efficiently alongside your anticipated trajectory.
Understanding power needs is also important here. There are often different ways power can be purchased for colocation including both “all in” flat rate and usage-based models. Each offers unique benefits and drawbacks and some may offer pricing predictability but limit your ability to get the power requirements you may need, while others allow for power variability but are only available for larger deployments. Understanding the usage of your workloads can help you make a cost-efficient decision and help you locate a partner that offers what you need.
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Your Cloud and Networking Needs Are Equally Important
Colocation services fit well into hybrid cloud models, offering the benefits of cloud but with the security and reliability that comes with a private presence in a data center. A highly successful colocation deployment will ensure businesses can connect to their most crucial platforms and partners. Depending on the provider, though, some facilities might be better suited to cloud and connectivity strategies than others. Carrier neutrality and a variety of providers available within the data center should be top of mind, and cloud ramps that make it easy to connect to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and others are key for creating a seamless, holistic environment. On-site storage and data center-to-data center connections to the cloud will help pave the way for successful hybrid strategies as well.
Redundancy is also key to ensuring alignment with networking and cloud goals while connectivity is only as empowering as it is accessible. Blended bandwidth elements for reliable routing and diverse carrier entry points are some important advantages to look for.
How Data Foundry Works with All Deployments
With demands increasing at a rapid pace, a choice in provider can make the difference between success and a lackluster result. Businesses need expert partners that will do more than just provide a service, they’ll offer guidance and thorough support to ensure each unique digital transformation or IT infrastructure adjustment is achieved to its fullest extent.
With more and more enterprises choosing colocation, getting the best solutions should be easy and accessible. Drawn out decision making is no longer an option, and speedy deployments and quality outcomes must seamlessly coexist.
This is why Data Foundry delivers 24x7x365 support, world-class infrastructure, expert IT management, and upkeep services. To ensure customers are always receiving the solutions they require, Data Foundry offers an array of data center locations with these options, including its Texas 2 facility. Texas 2, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art, dually-fed data center, delivers wholesale and retail colocation for deployments of all sizes.
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