Your server is likely the most important piece of equipment your company owns. It’s the nerve center for everything you do, from communicating with one another to creating, storing, and sharing work output. Consequently, it’s critical that you take care of it properly. Unfortunately, creating and maintaining the ideal conditions for your server can be very time- and capital-intensive work. Wouldn’t it make life easier if someone else did that for you? That’s the beauty of colocation server hosting.
Key Considerations for Evaluating Colocation Server Hosting Providers
There are many colocation server hosting providers in Colorado. However, you don’t want to simply put your company’s fate in the hands of the first one you discover. Instead, you need to consider how your provider rates in six key areas:
Contractually agreed upon uptime
Service level agreements (SLAs) are a provider’s commitment to you about the service they will provide. The first, and most important, question you should ask a provider is what level of server uptime they can provide. If it’s not 100 percent, you need to consider how any downtime would affect your staff and your customers. A provider should have technology and processes in place to keep you online without any issues.
Skilled and Experienced IT Staff
While the systems a colocation server hosting provider uses are important, the people behind those systems are equally so. It’s safe to say a data center is only as good as its staff. It’s not easy for a provider to hire, train, and retain quality people. However, it’s critically important that they do so, since these are the technicians who will be tending to your server around the clock.
Consistent power supply
Like any business, colocation server hosting providers are at the mercy of the power companies. If something should cause the power to a colocation facility to be reduced or cut, this can be a huge problem. So, a provider should have a system of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and backup generators in place to ensure ongoing operations at all times.
Advanced and always-current data security
Your data is the lifeblood of your company. Your colocation provider must have industry-leading network intrusion and malware prevention in place today, and a commitment to keeping those tools current as threats and the defenses to counter them continue to evolve.
Natural disaster protection
Fire, flooding, and other natural disasters can wipe out your data in an instant if proper detection and mitigation systems aren’t in place. For example, fire fighting systems like the sprinklers used in many office environments won’t cut it in an environment with sensitive devices like computer servers. A good provider will have a chemical fire suppression system.
Environmentally friendly practices
How a colocation facility is designed and operated can have a big impact on how energy efficient it is. If a provider has clearly just retrofitted an old space with some added cooling, chances are it is using far more energy than it should. And, it’s possible or even likely that equipment will not always be kept at the optimal operating temperature and humidity.
The Right Choice for Your “Colo” Needs
From temperature regulation, to redundant power supplies, to high-end security, FRII colocation server hosting provides everything you need to ensure safe, uninterrupted operations for you and your team, and a positive user experience for your customers. If you’ve got questions about colocation server hosting in Northern Colorado, please drop us a line using the Contact Us form on our website. You can also stop by our facility or call us at 800-935-6527.
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