Companies are transitioning to data centers because they can save capital costs, expand the company’s network, and position themselves to grow into the future. Migrating to a data center can be a timely and expensive proposition. Some of the key decisions businesses should consider in choosing the right data center are:
Factors that affect performance and support
- Scalability. The provider should not just meet your company’s current IT needs. It should also be capable of meeting your needs years down the road. Review how well the data center can expand your level of service without raising costs much. Also check that it smoothly integrates any new hardware or services you add.
- Uptime. Today, quality data centers should be reliable enough that your operations run 99.999% of the time. Ask the data center what redundancy schemes it uses.
- Technical support. If your operations run 24/7, technical support should be available 24/7 as well.
- The time to migrate. When a business decides to migrate to an off-site data center, it needs help with the migration and deployment. The provider should be ready to operate on the same timeline the company needs to prepare for the move.
- Network environment. One reason companies use data centers is the opportunity to expand their computer networks and reach more customers. Because connectivity to larger networks can help your business grow exponentially, review what network options are available before you sign. What bandwidths are available, and how fast does the connectivity work?
Factors that affect cost, security, and fit
- Do due diligence on the data center. Learn how long the data center has been in operation and speak to some of its other tenants to get their opinion. Review the company’s financial reports as well, so you know as much as possible about them before you sign.
- Security. Ask what measures the data center uses to limit and monitor access, such as alarm systems, video surveillance, access keycards, and security guards. Also ask what steps the provider takes to evaluate and address vulnerabilities on an ongoing basis.
- Pricing. Pricing begins with the monthly costs, extra charges, training expenses, and support fees, so make sure the utility costs are clear too. Ask how the company charges for its technical expertise and whether it offers discounts for long-term contracts. Because the goal is a fair return on investment, compare the pricing to the cost of developing your own platform instead.
- The location of the data center. While companies access data centers worldwide, it helps if your IT staff can physically visit the site within a reasonably short period of time. A site visit lets your team see how the provider stores the hardware and plan for disaster recovery. You can also review the utility resources in use and judge which upgrades make sense.
Companies should also explore other implications for how the move to a data center might impact their operations, such as how access to the cloud will work and who will manage any cloud services.
Connect with a knowledgeable data center consultant now
Data centers differ widely in quality. There are many economic, technical, business, and legal factors that go into choosing a data center. The right data center will have the resources to match your current and future needs, and a good data center understands how various businesses work so it can help companies migrate in a timely and competent manner.
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