One of the things you have to understand as a business owner is that maintaining your IT infrastructure can be difficult and time-consuming. In order to outsource their needs for data centers, many businesses are turning to colocation services. However, not every colocation service is the same.
Retail Colocation: The Perfect Solution for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Retail colocation may be the perfect solution if you’re a small or medium-sized business looking to outsource your IT infrastructure. With retail colocation, you rent space within a shared data center facility and use the provider’s power, cooling, and network connectivity.
The flexibility of retail colocation is one of its main benefits. Depending on your current needs, you can decide how much space and power you require, and you can scale up or down as your business expands. Retail colocation companies provide assistance services like remote assistance for simple maintenance jobs.
But there are also some disadvantages to retail colocation.
There might be restrictions on accessing certain features, like advanced security options, or changing configurations because you’re sharing resources with other businesses in the same facility. But at LinkedSecured we have dedicated staff on call at all times to address any shortfalls you may experience.
Wholesale Colocation: Ideal for Large-Scale Operations
For larger businesses with high-density server needs, wholesale colocation may be better than retail colocation. With wholesale colocation, you lease entire data center suites or floors from the provider and have complete control over your infrastructure setup.
This level of control allows large-scale operations to customize their environment to meet specific business needs like high-performance computing or specialized security requirements. Wholesale colocation also offers greater economies of scale since businesses can leverage bulk pricing for power and cooling.
However, wholesale colocation requires significant upfront investment due to leasing an entire suite or floor, which may not be feasible for smaller businesses just starting.
Managed Colocation: A Hands-On Approach for Streamlined IT Management
Managed colocation combines traditional colocation services with additional management services provided by the provider. With managed colo, businesses get access to a team of experts who manage everything from server hardware maintenance to software updates and security patches.
The primary advantage of managed colo is streamlined IT management without sacrificing control over your infrastructure setup. Managed service providers (MSPs) can provide more proactive monitoring and support than traditional unmanaged hosting environments.
However, managed colocation often comes at a higher price point than other colocation types since it includes additional management services provided by MSPs.
Cloud Colocation: Combining Cloud Computing with Traditional Data Center Infrastructure
Cloud-based colocation is a relatively new service that combines cloud computing with traditional data center infrastructure. Cloud colocation providers offer businesses access to virtual servers hosted across multiple data centers while maintaining physical control over their equipment via traditional colocation facilities.
One major advantage of cloud-based colocation is cost savings through more efficient resource allocation via virtualization technology used in cloud computing environments. Additionally, users benefit from increased resiliency due to the availability of zones spread across multiple geographic locations allowing faster disaster recovery times in case one zone goes down.
However, cloud-based solutions can offer less granular control over physical systems than traditional forms of hosting, such as managed or dedicated hosting solutions where users have full access rights to individual hardware components such as hard drives.
Remember, when outsourcing IT infrastructure, understand what type(s) of colocation best fits your company’s size/needs/budget. Understanding these different types of colocation services available in the market today should be much easier for any business owner seeking outsourced IT solutions to find one that fits their budget/needs perfectly!