What is Colocation?
In computing terms, colocation hosting refers to housing your data servers externally in a third party location. This colocation service provider provides the physical space, cooling, power, bandwidth and security while the customer provides for the servers and allied hardware.
Colocation hosting offers economies of scale, greater bandwidth, advanced infrastructure, low latency, round the clock technical support and other specialist services and systems.
Businesses generally deploy servers and devices off-site within an ISP data centre in colocation. Colocation helps in leveraging the data center and network technologies. It enables the IT staff to maintain physical control over their infrastructure.
Who needs colocation?
Businesses with many computing needs, particularly those needing a tight grip on security, frequently opt for their colocation server. To get a brief of who needs colocation, let us define colocation first- what is it in simple terms. Colocation is a term used to describe data center facilities that enable businesses to rent a server and other business-related computing needs. It includes various services such as websites, email, databases, networks or other hosted services. Colocation or colo allow businesses to provide computing services in a shared environment.
Why have a colocation data centre?
Businesses often employ data centre colocation to expand beyond the capacity of their own data centre. Smaller businesses with fewer IT resources frequently select this option over constructing their own data centre because it is less expensive. Several colocation data centres diversify their offerings to include managed services that support their clients’ business goals.
What are colocation facilities in the cloud?
Colocation services consist of a physical building where everything is housed, physical security, redundant power, networking, and redundant cooling elements, which assist the customer’s storage and servers. Colocation facilities are multi-tenant, but unlike a public or private cloud, they do not provide managed services to their customers. Rather, tenants rent only floor or rack space in the colocation facility. It’s the sole choice of the renters how they want to use the rented space.
What is the difference between web hosting and colocation?
Control is the most significant distinction between colocation and web hosting. Colocation offers all of the advantages of a data centre from delivering the server with power, space, cooling, to Internet access. On the contrary, you never own the hardware and dedicated and managed hosting gives you a lot of administrative control over servers. You can do it with colocation. Website hosting is far less expensive than colocation, but it also has fewer features.
Colocation vs Cloud– Which is Best?
Colocation is notably beneficial for companies that have made significant investments in physical equipment or lack sufficient space and electricity to maintain the gear at their facilities. On the contrary, cloud hosting companies manage cloud-based software, storage, and infrastructure remotely. The providers own the equipment, and they are in charge of maintenance, system security, and upgrades. The equipment and system are hosted and delivered as a service by the provider.
If the company has already invested in the IT infrastructure network and the associated hardware costs, colocation is a long way to go.
When comparing Colocation vs Cloud, colocation is a better solution to overcome the hardware challenges of a company. It’s a physical area where servers, hardware, and other services are hosts. Cost, compliance, security, and the present state of hardware investment, play a role in determining whether colocation or cloud-based hosting is suitable for your company.
