What is a Colocation Facility?

A colocation facility is an environmentally-controlled, secure facility with 24 hour monitoring and an uninterruptible power supply. Businesses use such facilities in order to store company data in an off-site location. This is an advantage for a number of reasons, not least because it allows a company to have continuous access to their bandwidth and data. In addition, it allows businesses to control the management of their web servers, even when they are off-site.

Building a private communications infrastructure can be costly for a business. A colocation facility can provide a comprehensive approach for server management, connectivity, and security, while saving on expense. There are many factors a company should consider when selecting such a facility.

Location is the first consideration. A colocation facility is better able to handle a power flux when it is closer to major power hubs, and it is also more capable of handling portability concerns.

These facilities often offer advanced firewall solutions, software licensing, and open communications with their clients. In the days of computer virus worries and company espionage, secure online backup services are increasingly important to ensure a company’s data remains safe.

A colocation facility is designed and engineered with highly redundant systems in order to maximize their availability and to prevent outages. Client companies have the right to request a full outage report to get a better look at the facility's reliability. Many take advantage of this option before signing a contract for server and data management.

Some of the other questions a business should ask when shopping for a colocation facility are what the connectivity is and if the company has a dual redundant routing and switching system. The business should also ask about power feeds. The answers should be provided before any agreements are signed in order to ensure the services are compatible with the contacting company and its needs.

The bottom line is that companies entrust their files and databases to a colocation facility. Therefore, the facility chosen needs to be of the highest quality. Most offer system monitoring, complete database monitoring, and total file storage, and routing services. Using colocation facilities allows companies to do more for their businesses by using state-of-the art data centers across the country. Many of these centers offer a variety of different programs, which change depending on the size and needs of the company.