Modern businesses depend on data to deliver excellent services, and server colocation offers efficiency and personalised server facility.
According to the ReportLinker, the UK tech industry received about $10 billion (£7.34 billion) to innovate and digitalise the business sector. Today, the UK leads the colocation service market with more than 250 operational colocation data centres. You can join the trend using the best UK server colocation provider trusted by hundreds of organisations for data security, zero power outage and 99.99% uptime, 24/7 customer service, and management by Microsoft and Cisco certified engineers.
What is Server Colocation?
Server colocation is the deployment and hosting process of servers owned by individual organisations within a managed service environment.
The UK colocation hosting is important for growing or already-established businesses. It allows the organisation to deploy their servers within their IT environment or personal data centre. The organisation also controls the server services, applications, and operating system while the MSP (Managed Service Provider) offers the physical power, network resources, and space.
Colocation hosting services from providers are affordable, and you have the option to select a pricing plan suitable for your business.
Colocation provides the room to cut costs when you house your servers in an environment or a facility that offers the physical security and infrastructure to keep deployment safe and operational. The exciting aspect of colocation hosting is that your tech team can access servers at a colocation centre physically when necessary.
Meanwhile, is UK colocation worth the hype?
Benefits of the UK Colocation Server
Prevent Power Outages
When the power goes off suddenly, your server may break, and it also affects the performance of devices connected on the server.
Your colocation service provider must provide excellent services that mitigate or eliminate server failure or sudden power outage. The colocation data centre should come equipped with backup power and robust environment for power generation during blackouts.
Mitigate the Company’s Cost
When your company uses a colocation server, it saves cost for the security of company servers. The company can also reduce the cost for their servers in the long term.
Allow for Growth and Expansion
The IT infrastructure of a company grows as the company grows. Newer innovations also mean that the company needs to expand its hosting to manage the business comfortably. An excellent UK colocation service provider can ensure that the colocation data centre is scalable because a company must not lack space.
Provision for Various Rack Sizes
Server colocation is flexible; the service provider ensures that a variety of server rack sizes is accessible to the company. The company can switch when necessary to accommodate a large amount of server hardware.
4D Data Centres, for instance, can offer high-density racks with up to 32Amps of power for your company’s power-hungry SANs and blade servers. You can select from full racks, half racks and quarter racks and your equipment is stored in the appropriate rack space securely for your hardware.
How Does Server Colocation Work?
Colocation services in your company mean that the company owns server hardware and software. While the hosting provider controls the power, network, and housing for strict facility maintenance, you handle the deployment of servers within the data facility.
Note that colocation service providers only handle the physical server when your company buys direct administration, also known as remote hands.
Colocation provides geographic flexibility believing that the IT experts can manage physical issues from the data centre. Location flexibility is fast becoming a colocation trend and it also leverages the power contracts and bandwidth capabilities for remote hands during emergencies. Your company may be charged hourly for remote hands.
Setting up and configuring the server to suit your company’s requirement and managing/maintaining the physical structure like replacing an older server is your responsibility.
The IT team of your company should understand what the company needs. It includes what they intend to do with the servers, the required hardware and software add-ons, and how to meet the hosting goals. Most colocation hosting customers select that current IT infrastructure from the on-premise facility and transfer it to the data centre of the colocation service provider for easier management. In this regard, your company’s server would be controlled with a console since servers are accessed remotely.
If your IT experts can manage the installation, supervision and maintenance of the server when it requires larger bandwidth and maximum uptime within the facility, it mitigates the risk of an on-site server, and you save cost.
Should You Choose a Colocation Server?
Server colocation offers you the opportunity to share a facility with a third-party instead of investing in an established service that continues to build from your investments. Moreover, colocation demand is fast-growing in the UK, and you do not want competitors to outmatch your company.
Colocation offers geographical flexibility, especially if your company demands an external environment. Moreover, network security and bandwidth are superb for your business.