Colocation lets a company stop running its own on-premise IT. It saves the hassle and expense of maintaining that hardware. Choosing a data center is still a big step, so you need to look past the basics. Server space, power, rack density, and cooling come first, but the extra benefits matter too. They range from on-site security to smart monitoring tools. Before you sign anything, ask one more question.
Is the data center you are considering carrier-neutral?
What is a carrier-neutral data center?
A carrier-neutral data center gives companies physical and virtual space for their servers and data. Some of them run their whole business from the facility. Because they do not pay to maintain their own hardware, they can put their IT resources into research and innovation.
The data center is only one piece of the puzzle, though. Internet service providers (ISPs) are the other piece. They connect a company’s network to the internet, so it can reach clients and do business. A carrier-neutral facility is independent of those providers. No single ISP owns or runs it, so clients get a wide choice of connections. Direct links to cloud services add to that choice. Providers often set them up through one cross-connection, which gives dedicated performance.
Why carrier neutrality matters
To see the benefits, look at how a single-carrier facility works. When a company places servers in one, it depends on that carrier for every connection. There is usually little or no choice. An ISP that runs the facility would compete with itself if tenants used a rival ISP. So it has little reason to allow that. These facilities may offer different service levels and upgrades, but only inside their own network.
That locks clients into one vendor. Because tenants cannot shop around, they face sudden service changes and price hikes. If the data center raises its fees, clients must choose. They can pay more or move to a new facility.
Basic advantages of a carrier-neutral data center
Those limits describe single-carrier facilities. They do not apply to every colocation provider. A carrier-neutral provider offers several benefits over a single-carrier one.
Redundancy
Redundancy usually means backup power, so servers keep running during an outage. Data centers have another kind of redundancy, though. It is carrier redundancy. A carrier-neutral facility usually hosts more than one carrier. We recommend connecting your key systems to at least two of them. If one carrier fails, the other takes over and your systems stay online.
Budget-friendly
Carrier-neutral facilities often offer lower internet prices. Several ISPs compete for the same tenants, so each one has a reason to keep costs low and service strong.
If a client is unhappy with its ISP, it can switch providers without stopping operations. Not every company needs the same level of service, either. Businesses that rely on edge computing, streaming, or IoT (internet of things) devices cannot afford a weak connection. A carrier-neutral facility lets them pick the supplier that fits best.
A single-carrier facility costs more than the monthly bill suggests. With one carrier, clients face price increases, weaker reliability, and limited bandwidth. Any of these can lead to costly downtime. Moving to a new data center adds its own cost. Rates may look fair at first, but later increases can force a move anyway. Choosing carrier neutrality from the start avoids that expense and hassle.
Low chance of data loss
Protecting your data from major loss is a key reason to use colocation. A carrier-neutral setup can add even more protection for business-critical data. The cost of downtime goes well beyond the direct expense. Companies also lose future sales, and they harm relationships with partners because they miss their obligations. Direct costs from data loss can reach thousands of dollars fast.
Cutting the risk of data loss is a big challenge in colocation, and one failure is one too many. When a provider offers several carriers, you can more easily find one with the uptime you need.
The colocation industry is changing fast because new technology keeps reshaping it. It makes colocation faster, more efficient, and more scalable. It also uses less energy and is more convenient.
Speak to an expert about your company’s specific data center needs
Got questions? Want to talk specifics? That’s what we’re here for.
Have one of our friendly data center connectivity experts contact you to start the conversation. They can make sure you have access to the right carriers, whether you need a certain type of connectivity, geographic coverage, or segment-specific services. Discover how Volico can help with your colocation data center needs.
