Colocation, also known as "colo", is a service where companies place their own servers and network equipment in a third-party data center. Instead of building and maintaining their own data center infrastructure, companies rent space in a data center to take advantage of its infrastructure and security measures.
read more about colocation services in Umeå.
How does colocation work?
Colocation offers physical space, power supply, cooling systems, and security for customers to install their own hardware. The customers pay for space — usually measured in rack units (U, where a U is approx. 4.4 cm high), cabinets or cages — the customer also pays for the electricity they use and the bandwidth of the internet connection they want.
Advantages of colocation
- Cost effectiveness: Using colocation can be more cost-effective than building and maintaining your own data center, especially for small to medium-sized businesses.
- Scalability: Companies can easily scale their infrastructure up or down by renting more or less space as needed.
- Reliability: Data centers offer redundant power supplies, backup generators, cooling systems and fire suppression systems that can be costly to implement yourself.
- Security: Some data centers provide advanced security, including access control, surveillance cameras, and burglar alarms.
Services that are often available in colocation
- Power supply: Continuous power supply with UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and backup generators to handle power outages. Electricity consumption itself is usually invoiced separately.
- Cooling: Advanced cooling systems to keep the servers and network equipment at optimal temperatures. The need for cooling goes hand in hand with electricity consumption, more electricity consumption requires greater cooling needs.
- Internet connection: In colocation halls, there are often several operators present, where you can buy internet connection for your equipment.
- Support & remote hands: Some providers provide the possibility that staff on site can help with "remote hands", this can often be an extra service. Remote hands can be used for, among other things, installing disks, restarting equipment, plugging in patches or screwing in and out of equipment.
Who should consider colocation?
Colocation can be particularly beneficial for companies that:
- Want control over their physical and network infrastructure but don't want to deal with the costs and complexity of maintaining their own facility.
- Need to be able to quickly scale up or down their infrastructure without investing in physical facilities.
Conclusion
Colocation offers a practical solution for companies that want to take advantage of the benefits of a modern data center without having to invest in equity capital for a complete infrastructure. With advantages such as cost efficiency, scalability and security, colocation is an attractive option for many companies looking to optimize their IT infrastructure.
