With each passing day, our reliance on technology grows, and more and more data is used every day. And, with colocation, the companies can store some or all their data and hardware at an off-site location. It provides the security feature of a commercial data center without having to incur staffing and infrastructure expenses.
Now, the obvious question would be why shift everything to a data center when you have the cloud. Well, there are firms that keep a part of their IT infrastructure in the cloud and hardware collated in a data center. Therefore, the decision of picking the platform is based on the type of firm.
Advantages of colocation
- Reduced it infrastructure and management cost
- Network reliability and uptime
- Disaster recovery and business continuity
- Scalability, security and stability
- Increased power capacity and bandwidth
- 24/7 support
Why should you consider colocation?
Businesses that are geographically dispersed and need regular updates often choose colocation to outsource the additional support and management costs for 24/7 access.
In a small or midsize business setting, colocation can serve as a safe, secure, and an affordable option. You can also opt for support services to maintain system health and regular backups. And for a larger business, colocation can be useful if you are looking to expand. In a nutshell, colocation provides options for addressing the need for constant support while having control of the infrastructure.
But, before you consider a colocation, few factors should be taken into account.
- Clearly define your company’s goals and what you hope to achieve
- Measure the exact bandwidth requirements
- Anticipate your data growth in the future
- The geographic location of the data center plays an important role
- Make sure that the provider’s contract terms are in line with what you want
When would colocation be a good option for you?
- When you’re considering a change or enhancement to disaster recovery or business continuity strategy and you require an accessible off-site location
- When you’re launching a new application that must be accessible 24/7/365
- When you’re working with sensitive data and an accredited provider is required to comply with industry, state or federal regulations
Colocation is an incredible innovation and has revolutionised the enterprise IT. It allows your business to receive the server power it needs, without forcing you to buy the space that is not required. Flexibility, scalability, security and affordability are a few features that make colocation an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
But the advantages are only beneficial if the colocation provider lives up to your company's expectations. This is where Ricoh India comes in. We understand that colocation is a long-term investment and, therefore, we offer customised solutions with a local colocation option, state of the art security, and a well-designed infrastructure to fulfil all your needs. Whatever your needs, we’re confident of being able to do justice to them.