Why Investing In Server Colocation Service Is a Smart Thing to Do

Colocation is a hosting option designed specifically for small and medium online enterprises who want to enjoy the benefits and advantages of a full-service and large IT setup but are unable to afford the large financial investment it entails. While large businesses usually have their independent IT infrastructure which can do everything associated with online activities such as hosting their own web servers and managing the site, small and startups do not have this crucial advantage as they are hampered by lack of resources and a limited budget.

Have Own Server without Suffering the Cost of Buying One

Server Colocation facility is a great way to have independent and high quality access to servers which you can run and manage the way you want without being dictated terms by the service providers. You won’t have to suffer the hassles of acquiring, deploying, running and maintaining the hardware network. Additionally, you also are spared the inconvenience and the burden of data center expenses.

Colocation is a process by which you can legally place your server machine in a rack owned by another party and share their bandwidth as if it’s an independent entity for your business. While it may cost a bit more than standard web hosting service, you will be paying a significantly less price for using a comparable amount of bandwidth for your business.

What Are Your Options

Once the machine is set up, it is taken to the colocation provider and installed it in their rack. Alternately, you can even rent a server machine from the provider using one of the several rental packages on offer to match your bandwidth needs and of course, your budget. Your service provider will provide your business with an IP, bandwidth, and power to your server. Once the setup is complete, you access it and use it pretty much like you would use your own independent server. In this arrangement, you are deemed the independent owner of the hardware.

The Advantages

There are several advantages of using server colocation over other server facilities available for the industry. It is unanimously accepted by IT experts that the single biggest advantage of using server colocation is the bandwidth cost. You can get easy and affordable access to high quality servers that provide higher bandwidth speeds and better redundancy for network connectivity for lesser price that what an average bandwidth of limited business capability generally costs.

The second big advantage of using server colocation facility is that they offer better protection from outages. Your backup generator may not be good enough to keep your server running for long during blackouts caused by storms or heavy rains. This may lead to severe and pronounced disruptions in critical business operations. When you use server colocation facility, the package includes power generators and stable form of power backup back-up power to keep your business running in all conditions.

In business situations where you don’t own the server, you are usually at the mercy of the provider and have to wait for them to upgrade the service to your level of requirement. In this kind of arrangement, you own the server machinery. You are free to scale up operations if the speed and memory of the server is not keeping pace with the progress of your business.

Key Benefits for Small and Medium Businesses

As you own the server software you can install the kind of software and tools needed for your business without having to depend on the hosting provider. Other benefits include:

You can leave the server up and running at all times when you move without having to pay twice the price for maintaining duel lines. You won’t have to deal with outages and interruptions either
Colocation ensures security of your machines as your server is located in a highly secure setting
Providers can manage and maintain your server for a small fee if you so desire. This can help immensely if the server is located at a faraway destination from your office or if you don’t have skilled and qualified IT professionals to handle the task

The best server colocation services offer 24/7 basic support on request. However, users are fully responsible and handling of the equipment. You will have full physical access to the server at all times which is a huge plus point. In most arrangements, the security of the server is the responsibility of the colocation provider. This will ensure that the power, bandwidth and space they provide you are not compromised in any way.

Most online companies and entrepreneurs aver that server colocation is the ultimate and most effective solution which brings along with it the control and flexibility they need for running a server without incurring the exorbitant cost of owning one. It is ideal for companies handling high volumes of traffic or performs critical operations but is challenged financially to invest in a powerful, advanced server outright.