What Exactly is Colocation Hosting and How Does It Work?

Digitalization of data has become a necessity and with an expanding business, there is more and more data that needs to be securely stored. This calls for more storage not only to back up your data but also to run data-intensive and mission-critical operations.

Sometimes you might lack the space to set up your servers or experienced IT support for maintaining them in top-notch condition. Such drawbacks will result in increased downtime of your servers which directly affect your production and incur losses.

Do you need that uninterrupted network stability and better redundancy than you already have? Are you lacking the resources, space or staff to maintain your data centre?

Don’t let those affect your operations anymore. Rent the space and services from a 3rd party data centre facility for your IT hardware, this is called colocation.  So, colocation or colocation hosting is when the user or organisation rents space, servers, and other IT equipment bandwidth from an external facility.

The practice of colocation helps you cut down on overall IT capital, ensure 24*7 high-speed connection and hire expert technical help.

Digital rights management is the technology that is used to protect and monetize intellectual property and copyrighted materials from misuse or theft in the digital sphere. The two core objectives of digital rights management are data protection and data governance.

From medium-sized businesses to large enterprises, all hire colocation providers for guaranteed uptime, better maintenance and security, round-the-clock technical help, reduced travel costs, and improved profits. Some providers also offer network access, data backup, data archiving, and replication and regeneration systems, as combined colocation and advanced data connectivity services.

How does Colocation Work?

Colocation providers allot physical space, server housing, bandwidth, power and cooling options and other necessities required to keep the servers functional. However, you need to buy your own servers and software and configure and manage them to operate your business, and then relocate them to a colocation area. Sometimes, colocation providers may offer storage and server remote administration and management services.

For companies wanting to grow geographically and keep their IT equipment in multiple locations, colocation hosting might be an efficient method. This allows the companies to keep their computer systems close to the office.

Choosing a colocation provider

With numerous colocation providers out there, it’s crucial to choose the one which correlates with your company’s requirements. Here are a few factors:

100 percent uptime

It’s important to verify and cross-check the services provided by them. See that they provide 100 percent uptime and redundancy and make sure to thoroughly revise their SLA (Service Level Agreement).

Compliance and Security

In addition to data protection, the environment in which the IT equipment is housed should also be compliant with official safety and trade regulations. Requesting compliance certificates and physical security inventory can also be done.

Secure facility

Pick a colocation facility that is in a geographically stable and accessible location.  Check the security measures they implement in the facility, like the check-in process or authentication, security cameras, and server access, etc.

Disaster recovery and Business Continuity Services

Check if the provider offers data recovery in case of natural disasters and  equipment failure to protect your irreplaceable data and crucial functions. Data safety, workplace recovery, and business continuity should be available.

24*7/365 technical help

It’s important that your colocation provider is easily reachable when required. They might be active through calls, emails, or live chats. Check the other client reviews to gain an understanding of their customer service.

You can also check if they offer customized solutions, sufficient experience in services, on-site staff for remote hands, and other management services.

How much does Colocation hosting cost?

The cost varies and depends on the services you employ. For example:

-Space allotted

-Power used

– Degree of bandwidth and connectivity

-Network speed.

– Tier facility at which servers are housed. Tier I being the lowest and Tier IV is the highest.

If you employ other management or business continuity services the charges will differ.

Here are some benefits of  colocation hosting:

-Improved uptime and redundancy

-Reduced data centre operational costs. Cut down on power consumption and spacial cooling and requirements.

-Total support for next-gen computing is interconnected with the latest networking backbone.

-Expert technical help and remote support.

-Physical security measures.

-High availability and stability.

-High-speed network.

-Suitable for cloud computing environments.

-Scalable storage space and flexibility.

In conclusion, by choosing colocation hosting, you are transferring your present IT infrastructure to a different area, for a third-party provider is responsible for keeping up the uptime and redundancy with no or minimized outages.