FAQ 2 – What is the difference between Datum and a wholesale colocation provider?

Datum’s secure retail colocation data centre is located within the Cody Technology Park in Farnborough. On the other side of the perimeter fence, our nearest neighbour is a large wholesale provider sited just outside the park. This juxtaposition frequently raises the question: “What is the difference between retail and wholesale colocation?”

In essence, wholesale colo is for bigger players seeking a large footprint in a facility dedicated to their use, and generally a power requirement of 1mW or more. Typically, it means that the tenant leases a fully-built data centre space where the facility itself is managed by the building owner. This arrangement provides the tenant with a dedicated facility without the ongoing capital investment needed to build and maintain their own data centre building. Often the tenant will have their own on-site DC management team to look after their IT kit.

A retail colocation data centre such as Datum is the home for the critical IT infrastructure of a broad range of organisations, each taking rack space within a shared hall. The high-cost building infrastructure overlaid with operational support services such as engineers and security offices is shared with other clients, giving each client access to a supremely secure and resilient data centre without horrendous capital outlay.

Datum operates and maintains the facility, provides access to telecoms carriers and cloud platforms, monitors and manages the environment to ensure safe continuous operation and provides remote hands services as required. At the outset, clients have the flexibility to order the number of racks they need, enclosed within a dedicated cage if required, and as part of the Datum’s approach to client service, can negotiate first option on contiguous space to allow for expected growth. Typical agreements are for 3 years covering the shared infrastructure services with contracted power use and cross-connects to telecommunications providers.

Flexibility and service

Within Datum’s retail colo model, our leading edge facility is layered with a client-focused approach that runs through our commercial and practical agreements and our day-to day client support. Flexible terms and client-driven agreements enable clients to plan ahead and to roadmap their expansion with scalability and contiguous space. Recognising the value that clients accrue from thorough service management, Datum provides everyone with transparency and support through:

• Practical advice, support and guidance to inform deployment design and assist in the transition
• Proactive service reporting and account management
• Dedicated client service manager
• Detailed reporting including BMS data for transparency
• Registration and movement tracking of all visitors
• Advanced DCIM to centralise monitoring and management
• Remote hands engineering services

If you are looking for further details on how co-location would work for you, the Datum Connect series comprises 6 useful booklets on different aspects of the service, with hints and tips. They can be downloaded from the Resource Centre on the Datum website.

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