Insight

As businesses search for options to store their data, they need to know what options are available to them. Many options exist, such as colocation, virtual private servers, and shared web hosting.

Each option offers different features, but colocation is one that may need a bit more explanation for those who are new to the concept of off-site data storage. Businesses in Orlando, Space Coast, Tampa, and other areas of Florida should consider colocation for a number of reasons.

What Exactly Is Colocation (Colo)?

Colocation facilities are data center facilities that house numerous servers. A colo facility allows businesses to rent server and computing hardware space. Colocation services are an excellent option for businesses to store their data. 

Of course, a colo may not be the best option for each business. So, to determine whether it’s right for you, we’ll discuss how colocation works and explore its features and benefits.

What Is a Colocation Data Center

A colocation data center is a building that houses rentable racks and cabinets that store your equipment. The building itself has high physical security to protect the equipment inside. The data center facility has redundant power, meaning the power system is backed up by uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and generators. So if the electricity at the data center goes out, your servers are still powered by other means.

Redundant cooling systems are...

Considering a switch to virtual desktops or remote desktops involves many factors for a business, including cost, needs of their employees, and computing and storage requirements.

If your business is in Orlando, Space Coast, Tampa, or surrounding areas and is looking into the option of virtual desktop hosting, then here is a comparison between virtual desktops and maintaining on-premise personal computers, servers and related hardware which, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to as “physical desktops”.

Virtual Desktops Benefit Both Remote Employees & Employers

More and more businesses are starting to employ remote workers as telecommuting increases in popularity. Around 50 percent of the U.S. population works remotely at some point during the week, according to Forbes. Those remote workers are often accessing company files via their personal computers, meaning your business may not have control over their security at home.

Using a virtual desktop provided by Colo Solutions allows businesses to assert more control over security of their data. Your virtual desktop data is stored at a secure data center and you have the option to set security policies and protocols to prevent the data from being downloaded to anyone's personal device. So, if an employee's laptop is stolen, the data is password protected and your company data is still protected.

So, you have built yourself a small data center for your growing business. You have a few servers and things seem to be going alright — but could they be better? Even if your data center is supplying your needs right now, a good business-mindset would keep you focused on ways to improve your business and stop wasting money. Unfortunately, you might not even know the ways you are wasting money, so we have put together a small list of reasons you are simply letting your money slip away by not using a data center for your company’s IT needs.

#1: Bandwidth

Bandwidth is a huge factor when running a successful data center, as you may have already figured out. Unfortunately it is not usually unlimited for any individual business with access to only one internet service provider, neither is it very cheap. Not only are data centers located in areas where a number of high-quality internet providers overlap, they have more purchasing power than you, and can therefore negotiate better prices. Another wall that may prove to be annoying is that lying high-bandwidth fiber can simply be out of reach for most businesses with small data centers. This is because the price of laying fibers just to reach your business is often estimated at $10,000 per mile.

Here is another thing to consider — If you think that the simple cost of your monthly usage is the only way your business will be paying due to bandwidth, then you are sorely mistaken. As your business grows, you...

Many small businesses are finding that they are expanding and, therefore, have increased IT infrastructure needs. This can present itself as the increased need for data storage, online communication, or product orders. It’s possible you have already invested in building a small private data center, or maybe you have only recently realized your increased need and are looking to resolve it.

Whatever the case, you are likely already familiar with the fact that building and maintaining a private data center can become very stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. Purchasing the right server equipment, installing the cables and cooling systems necessary, along with keeping knowledgeable staff on-site to help you solve any problems that are sure to arise, can become an unnecessary strain on your business, and can ultimately steal your focus away from real money-making pursuits.

There are many ways that colocation services can improve your business and make your life easier, but let’s focus on the two main benefits that these services offer.

#1: Reliability

When you decide to install your own server equipment on-site at your business, you are choosing to take on a huge amount of risk. The likelihood that you chose the location of your business due to the wonderful internet reliability is very low. Most likely, the location of your business was driven by the high physical traffic of potential customers, not the reliability and cost-effectiveness of running...