Demands on IT infrastructures are rapidly increasing. For many organisations, co-location is the logical next step for hosting, securing and connecting the IT infrastructure. It’s often a struggle, however, to differentiate one co-location provider from another.
In this report produced by Quocirca, it is shown that cost shouldn’t be the deciding factor when choosing a co-location provider, and that seeking additional value-adds is critical to the success of any move. Here is a brief summary of the full report, including the features necessary to make a successful move.
1. A long-term partnership
In theory, moving equipment from providers with which you are unhappy with should be simple. Unfortunately in practice, it can be complicated and there are long-term implications. Therefore due diligence before you commit is key to understanding what a co-location provider has to offer your business. It’s important to consider what may happen in the future, both when times are good and when things might go wrong, so that you have a clear picture of how the provider can support your long-term strategy.
2. The whole package
Given the long term nature of co-location partnerships, it is more beneficial to deal with a provider who will let you interact with its full team of staff, across sales, service management and technical support. Knowing who you will be dealing with after the contract has been signed is essential, as well as ensuring they know who you are.
3. Service management
It is imperative that you have a strong relationship between your organisation and those responsible for identifying and rectifying problems within the facility. Some of the service management criteria that your provider should be providing include maintaining regular interaction, ensuring information is relayed to the relevant departments, and being prepared with adequate plans in the case of a major failure. And don’t forget the actual migration – having a provider who will work with you to ensure a smooth transition can prove invaluable, paving the way to a successful co-location experience.
4. Physical location
The location of the data centre is important. Not only do you want to make sure it isn’t prone to flooding , but you also want to make sure the site has the right level of security you need. Data centres in controlled environments deliver peace of mind for the safe-keeping and security of your IT infrastructure.
5. Value-added ecosystem
Data centre ecosystems are important because they help businesses and co-located organisations within facilities connect with each-other. As a service provider, this can help expand your business, and also presents the potential to partner with other co-located providers to develop new solutions.
Choosing a new co-location provider isn’t a decision that should come down to cost, or to features that should be taken for granted. You must look for what makes the provider different, what can they offer that will support your organisation in the way that it needs, and how can it help propel your business to the next level.
To read the full report and discover what the right questions to ask are when searching for a new co-location centre.
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