Could Co-location Work for You?

Co-location is one of your options for web hosting. If you’re thinking about exploring co-location, you probably wonder if it is a good idea for you. While there are several advantages to co-location, there are also disadvantages. The first step, however, is to understand what co-location is.

Co-location Defined

When you transfer your hardware, servers, and other systems equipment to the physical premises of another company that will give you the space, power, and bandwidth that you need for your site, the setup is called co-location. There are a number of benefits to co-location, one of which is the amount of floor space you’ll free up at your own business site. You can, in some cases save a fair amount of money.

Systems that you use for things like data management, data storage, telecommunications, web hosting, or e-commerce sometimes require specific types of storage environments. Maintaining this environment, which includes things like narrow range air conditioning, can cost a lot of money, and there are also the man-hours involved with making sure the equipment is running properly.

When it’s time to talk to a data center you’re considering for co-location, you’ll find that you use their equipment housing facilities at a nominal price. Data centers are designed to hold a lot of equipment, and economies of scale allow them to store one company’s worth of equipment at a lower price than you would pay outfitting your own premises. The more clients the data center has on its books, the lower the amount they have to charge you to make a profit because their overhead costs are far lower.

Services to Expect

Sometimes the services include a secure setup, power supply systems with back up generators in the event of a power failure, battery backup for the time during the switchover from a main power system to the back up power supply, and specially designed storage cabinets and racks that are designed to house computer equipment properly and safely.

Co-location companies also have fire prevention and theft prevention security. Some data centers will let you work physically on-site or remotely from your office. If this is something you want to do, make sure up front that you’re allowed to. Co-location gives you the benefits of more in the way of usable office space, houses your equipment securely, and takes the burden of monitoring the health of your computer equipment off your back. It is definitely worth considering.