Submitted by Omkar on
If like many businesses out there you have been evaluating various web hosting providers you have undoubtedly come across the term “co-location”. Co-location is, much like cloud hosting, aimed for smaller businesses that wish to achieve scalability and security through corporate hosting solutions but without breaching their strict budgets. It can be rather hard to compare various solutions such as cloud, hybrid and dedicated servers if you are not completely sure what each can bring to your business.
What Is Co-location?
In simple terms co-location refers to housing your own servers in the provider’s data center. It differs from selecting the dedicated server in which case you would be leasing server from the hosting provider. In other words, with co-location you are charged for the rack space or the shelf, while you provide all the hardware and the servers that you need to host your solutions.
Co-location is in essence an alternative to your own in-house server hosting, but without the risks and scalability issues that may emerge from managing your own in-house server.
In case you are still unsure whether co-location is the right solution for your business here are some points to consider.
1. Running your own in-house servers
If your business already has an in-house web server, co-location could be a viable option to increase redundancies and ensure higher protection for your data.
2. Having infrastructure concerns
In terms of web hosting there is much more than simply owning your server equipment. Some of the important aspects include network connectivity, cooling and power solutions. Assuring that all these are available in your in-house environment can demand and also be quite costly. Therefore if you already own servers and need to ensure better infrastructure, co-location should be considered.
3. Industry related requirements and certifications
Although industries differ in compliance aspect, when it comes to storing and handling sensitive data, companies often face strict quality standards. Industry mandated certificates such as HIPAA and PCI are some of the reasons companies are choosing co-location services. Adhering to these requirements can drain a significant amount of your company’s resources. Co-location of your servers is a simple, but effective way to ensure that your data is secure and kept in line with the industry requirements.
4. Running applications that require high performance hardware
Dedicated servers that providers offer are good solutions, however, if applications which your company run, consume a lot of resources, you might want to consider purchasing your own high performing servers at a one-time cost instead of leasing it from a provider. Such lease might end up being costlier in the long run and co-location could be a far better solution.
These are some of the scenarios in which co-location can prove to be the right solution for your business. The decision is not to be taken lightly but you can always consult a proven hosting provider such as EverData in order to assess your requirements and find the best solution that your business deserves.
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