Team in focus: Nathan Desmond

We’re thrilled for you to meet Nathan Desmond, our Technical Manager.

Nathan Desmond

Nathan joined us from a fast-rising career in critical technology for a major UK retailer (the one with the excellent, tear-jerking Christmas adverts!), overseeing their internal data centre operations. Nathan’s broad experience across multiple disciplines will assist in taking the customer experience at Netwise to the next level, as we continue to grow our dedication to true in-house expertise.

Nathan joined the Netwise family in late 2022, and has been making an incredibly positive impact on our operation ever since. His addition to the core Netwise management team came as expansion continued at our London East facility, taking Data Hall 1 to capacity, welcoming a single client to Data Hall 2, and building out Data Halls 3 and 4.

Nathan has already proven invaluable in the continued development of bleeding-edge technology in and around our world-class data centres.

We very recently deployed a major upgrade to part of our core network, at our Supernode in Telehouse North. Nathan naturally played an integral role in the success of this roll-out, from planning, to physical adjustments, through to completion.

THN Engineering
We fully replaced one of the core routers on our network, which included a chassis replacement and a full complement of new line cards
THN Router
This type of critical operation is never easy, so having an expert like Nathan in your corner is always welcomed

You can expect to meet Nathan busy working across all corners of our data centre estate, keeping your mission-critical data centre services in tip-top shape. You may even find his expert input on the odd support ticket from time to time depending on the issue at hand.

Six benefits of using data centres for your business

In 2020, global data centre spending reached $37 billion, with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft accounting for more than 50% of this. Data centres are facilities that can centralise the shared IT operations for an organisation, making it easier to store, process, and disseminate data. 

They are a vital component for the daily operations of many businesses and provide organisations with many more benefits. 

Do you want to learn more about data centre automation and data centre services in the UK? Keep reading this article for the top six benefits of using data centres for your business. 


1. Security compliance

One of the primary benefits of using data centres for your business is that they offer improved network security and compliance. Colocation centres offer many security features to keep your data safe, including key cards and other types of regulated entry. 

Plus, using a local colocation centre allows you to check on security yourself. You can gain access to your servers to make sure everything is in working order. 

Not only do data centres offer high security, but they can also protect your business from cyber threats. They can offer network security including firewalls and other systems that can protect your data from unauthorised access. 

This is especially important if your business deals with private or confidential data, as your customers will be confident in your ability to protect their information. 


2. Room to grow

Next, using data centres for your business gives you room to grow. As time goes on, your business needs will continue to change. By using this technology for your business performance, you can match your needs as your business grows. 

Using a colocation data centre allows you to expand your business infrastructure without having to spend a fortune. 

If your business grows, your IT infrastructure can grow with it. This scalability makes using a data centre a great option for new small businesses. 


3. Improved connectivity

Another great benefit of using data centre services in the UK is that it offers better connectivity for your network. When you are running a business, having a network problem can cause serious issues with your productivity and business performance. 

However, colocation data centres utilize redundant network connections to prevent connectivity issues. This means that your businesses important applications can always run smoothly without interruption. 

Data centres also offer power redundancy. They use several different power grids, generators, and even backup battery systems to ensure that you will never lose connection, even when the power goes out. 

These factors, combined with regular maintenance of the data centres, ensure that you will always be able to access your data. 


4. Data mobility

Across the world, it is estimated that 52% of employees work from home at least once a week. Because so much business is done virtually, especially after the global pandemic, businesses need to be able to access their data no matter where they are. Using a virtual data centre provides your business with data mobility. 

This means they will be able to access IT workloads and business data no matter where they are or when they need access. With this data mobility, your business can run and manage its workload on the cloud. 

Because remote work is becoming one of the biggest benefits an organization can offer to its employees, it is vital that businesses also make the change to business mobility. 

Similarly, using colocation data centres allows your company to take steps toward cloud migration. While the transition to cloud computing can be overwhelming, having your equipment in an offsite facility will help the process to go more smoothly. 


5. Increases productivity

When you use data centres for your business, it also enables you to increase your productivity. When you have issues with your IT services or network downtime, it is often due to human error. 

Because data centres allow for true automation, it takes out the possibility for manual error. It also saves you hundreds of hours in managing your resources. 

This is something that can greatly lower your operational expenses and make it faster and easier for you to access your IT services. 

Similarly, using a data centre provides you with more control for your business. You do not have to risk giving up control of your data if your network has a cyber threat. You will also not have to worry about having your systems shut down without warning. 

Utilizing data centres for your business acts as prevention for these problems and can save you countless hours by preventing data disasters. 


6. Cost-effective solutions

Finally, data centres and colocation service providers are cost-effective solutions for any business owner. The cost of IT infrastructure is continually increasing and inflexible. Many companies worry about being locked into inflexible infrastructures.

Plus, increasing your IT infrastructure as your business grows can be a costly investment. Instead, businesses can grow at their own pace when using a data centre. 

This allows you to maximize your profitability and to have more control over your business costs, management, and more. 

If you are looking for a way to save money for your business, you can talk to your local colocation service providers to learn more about their data centres. 


Looking for data centre services in the UK? 

Utilizing data centres for your business is a simple way to improve your data security and mobility cost-effectively. 

If you are looking for colocation service providers in the UK, we can help! Our team is the UK’s leading colocation service provider and offer private facilities in the centre of London. 

Contact our team today to learn more about our data centre services or to book a tour at our data centre locations in the UK. 

How to choose the right colocation data centre in London to fit your needs

Colocation facilities are relatively new innovations in the business and technology landscape, but they are growing quickly. In fact, the market for colocation facilities in the United Kingdom alone is worth more than 2 billion pounds sterling every year.

Of course, not all colocation data centres are created equal. If you want to find the best services possible, you’ll probably have to shop around a little.

So how can you make sure that you picked the right colocation data centre for your unique situation? Read on to learn all about the most important considerations to keep in mind when picking a colocation data centre.


1. Pick a data centre with the right power density

Using a colocation data centre is an investment in the long-term future. That is why it is important that the data centre that you choose is also oriented towards the future. If a data centre has enough power density for current technologies, but not for future ones, it will not be able to adequately provide for your long-term needs.

For that reason, it is important to pick a data centre with a high enough power density to cover all of your current needs as well as a significant increase in your demand looking ahead. That way, when your needs inevitably increase in the future, your data centre will still be able to provide what you are looking for.

In particular, you will want to watch out for colocation data centres that came to be before the density boom. Many of these are unable to support more than 2kW per cabinet.

For that reason, you might want to go with a data centre that was designed and built more recently. More recent constructions are more likely to integrate the latest developments in technology.


2. The best colocation London has to offer should provide network carrier redundancy

No matter how advanced everything else about your system is, your connectivity is ultimately reliant on networks and carriers. If the connectivity of a given data centre relies on only a single path network, then no matter how well designed everything else is about the facility, if the carrier suffers from problems, so will the data centre.

For that reason, the best data centre should provide network redundancy. When a colocation data centre has many networks through which clients can access connectivity, it is less likely to run into potential problems.


3. Find data centres in the right location

When it comes to technological solutions like colocation data centres, people sometimes make the mistake of underestimating the importance of physical location. Physical location may not be as important for technological solutions as it is for other kinds of solutions, but it still makes a significant impact on service.

One thing to keep in mind is vulnerability to natural disasters. You might want to pick a colocation data centre that is in a very safe part of the world.

At the same time, the closer your data centre is to you, the better that can often be for ongoing management and maintenance. You’ll also want your systems to distribute services as close to your end users as possible, as this will ensure the best possible low-latency access.

On top of that, there are some times when you need to physically access your data centre. In those cases, you will not want it to be too far away. For that reason as well, the ideal data centre will not be more than one or two hours of transportation away. 


4. Pick data centres with the right physical security

In the same way that people neglect the importance of physical location, they sometimes neglect the importance of physical security. Physical security is still a major factor even in technological solutions. Everything in the digital world is still reliant on physical systems.

For that reason, you should look into security practices at each data centre. The data centres with the best security practices can provide more reliable service.


5. The best colocation data centres have backup plans

Some people are so confident in their systems that they feel they do not need backup plans. However, true certainty comes when you are sure your system is solid, and you have a backup plan in place regardless. You should find a data centre operator that can assist with your own disaster recovery plans.

Not having a business continuity plan is a red flag. You should absolutely pick a data centre that is fully able to deploy your systems with business continuity in mind.

And the more layers there are in the backup plan, the better. Offering services in multiple on-net locations, for example, would be one excellent way of achieving this.


6. Find a data centre with proper compliance

Make sure to ask about the compliance of each data centre you look at. However, you should also verify what they tell you. After all, any data centre without proper compliance is probably not going to tell you about it.

Instead, you should look up the certification of your data centre. 


Enjoy all of the benefits of the right colocation data centre

We hope that you were able to take away something helpful from this brief article on some of the most important things that you should consider when you are choosing the right colocation data centre for your situation.

Although it takes longer to shop around and do your due diligence, doing so is an investment that will pay off for many years to come.

To learn more about how to pick the right colocation data centre or to find a quality supplier, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time.

Business Continuity: why London data centres are essential

Data shows that only half of UK organisations are confident in their business continuity plan. The importance of a BC plan is evident in how many businesses were affected by the pandemic.

Are you concerned for the well-being of your company? Keep reading to find out the best way to protect yourself and your organisation.


What is Business Continuity?

Business continuity is a term that serves to explain how a company might continue its essential functions even during an unforeseen event. These events can include the following:

  • Natural disaster
  • An outbreak of a disease
  • Fire / flood
  • Cyberattacks
  • Industry Strike

A business continuity plan (BCP) includes essential items and procedures that are to be followed in the event of a disaster, whether they are small or large. In addition, it often covers practices that allow the company to function with minimal disruption during the said event.


What is Disaster Recovery?

During your research, you may have come across the term “disaster recovery.” Often, business continuity and disaster recovery are used interchangeably; this is a misconception.

A disaster recovery plan often deals with data protection and cyberattacks. However, it also protects against events such as a system failure or even a device failure. 


Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery

Business continuity is often referred to as the plan needed in case of a disastrous event. It is planned ahead of time and implemented during an unforeseen event. In contrast, disaster recovery is the plan that is executed after the event.

Another key difference is that a disaster recovery plan focuses more on recovering the IT infrastructure of the business. In contrast, the BCP focuses more on the daily operations of the organisation. 


What does a BCDR plan look like?

A BCDR plan tackles the issues that arise during an unforeseen event. It often includes the ‘four-R’ predefined plan to allow for continuous operations. The four-R plan is as follows:

  • Respond
  • Recover
  • Resume
  • Restore

While this may give you an idea of a BCDR plan, it is essential to include some key components in your plan:

Contact info and SLAs

A business continuity plan should include the correct contact information and service level agreements (SLAs) required to identify and inform the right parties. These parties include emergency responders, stakeholders, key staff members, managers, data security, and any service providers.

This information should be the first step in your plan, as it is crucial to inform the right members of your team.

BIA

Business impact analysis helps predict what procedures could be impacted by the disaster. This analysis can help you identify and gather information to prepare for the event.

The BIA will help you analyse items such as extra expenses, revenue loss, reputation damage, dependencies, repercussions of disruptions, and more.

Risk assessment

A risk assessment identifies the risks that could trigger a disastrous event. When completing a risk assessment, your company will need to identify possible hazards such as a fire, flood, terrorism, pandemic, and cyber-attack.

Additionally, you will need to assess the assets at risk, much like the business impact analysis. 

Communications

Once you have your contact information together, you will also need to determine the communications method of contacting the critical members involved. Finally, you will need to assess how to reach each group effectively. These groups include your employees, customers and clients, and providers.

Communication is key in any relationship, especially in business. However, in the event of a pandemic such as COVID, it is essential to communicate the company’s needs to your employees, the restriction on which you can operate to your clients, and what your shareholders can expect until the disaster is alleviated.

Testing

Arguably, the most important aspect of your plan is to test it. Having a plan meets the minimum requirements but knowing that it works is critical. Additionally, it is imperative to practice the plan so that your team knows what to do in such an event.

While you are testing the plan, look for gaps and weaknesses in your plan. You may notice that, in theory, the plan works well. However, you need to update and document when the plan falls through in practice. 


Data centres: which solution is right for you?

A proper BC plan includes a data recovery plan to restore the servers and systems of your organisation. This data is different for each company; however, you’ll need to recover software, hardware, and basic operations for each company.

The first step to recovering your data is a regular backup. You can do this in-house; however, in the case of a fire, flood, or earthquake, you risk losing the data that is essential to your company’s operations.

However, a data centre provides a safe and secure place for your organisation to store essential data. When you are looking for a reputable data centre, consider the precaution the centre takes to protect the data. Ask yourself questions like:

  • Is it cooled?
  • What hardware is used?
  • What power system is in place?
  • Is the centre monitored 24/7?

Implement your BCDR plan today

Is your business safe and secure in the case of a disastrous event? It is essential for your organisation to implement a business continuity and disaster recovery plan. 

Perhaps you already have a plan in place and have decided to backup your IT infrastructure at a data centre. Look no further, contact us today to book a tour and see how we can help you prepare for unforeseen events.

9 things to look for in your London data centre

Did you know there are around 285 colocation data centres in the United Kingdom? As the UK capital, London is the perfect place to house your critical infrastructure. But do you fully understand what makes a good one?

London has a lot to offer, from sound infrastructure to geographical safety. Read on as we discuss nine things to look for in your London data centre partner.


1. Security

Security comes in both digital and physical from when referring to top-quality London data centres.

Data centres can also be attacked physically. Therefore, you need to check the security of the facility itself. It should be monitored 24 hours a day with video surveillance equipment. 


2. Power redundancy

When you have a business that runs online, you need to make sure it is operating at full capacity through all eventualities. If you have a critical system that can not go down, what happens if a data centre runs out of power? 

One factor your London data centre needs is a secondary electrical connection. Most facilities will have this, and N+1 grid connectivity with a second power source is essential. 

Any failures in the power will not lead to a shutdown with this in place. When choosing a centre, ask what electrical backups they have. 


3. A good location

When you choose a data centre that is a long way off, then your networking costs increase. When it is closer to your place of operations, it is easier to respond when any problems or issues arise. This is what makes a London data centre such a great option for businesses in the city. 

Lights out facilities is the term used for centres managed remotely. Preferred by some, they are risk-averse and cost-effective, as management is away from areas prone to natural disasters. However, this is not a problem that impacts the city of London.  

This makes a data centre in London a great choice all around. They are safe and with so much easy access to the city, can be visited whenever you need to check on them. 


4. Provision of an SLA

service level agreement (SLA) is a binding contract that sets out what the data centre will provide you with. This needs to be studied in-depth, as it may contain hidden caveats within the small print. When something goes wrong, you don’t want the provider to leave you high and dry because you didn’t read it properly. 

Don’t be afraid to address these issues. If you want something added or removed, then discuss it with them. This may also help them get a better understanding of the coverage and service you desire. 

One area that is often hard to understand is accountability for security. Make this as clear as possible in your SLA. All of this should be discussed during your search, not when it comes to signing the contract.


5. 24 hour support

Problems can occur at any time. This does not just mean the middle of the night, but also on every day of the week, every single day of the year. Failure is not an option, because it costs people time and revenue. That is why the centre needs to be monitored and staffed around the clock. 

That does not mean staffing at the centre has to be consistent. In downtimes, less staff may be onsite or monitoring. However, someone must always be there to answer phone calls and give assistance. 


6. Reputation

Checking the reputation does not mean you won’t find unknown London data centres that are good. It is just that with ones that have a great reputation, you get a degree of certainty regarding their level of service. Speak to other business leaders and managers about who they use and get recommendations. 

In addition, when you sign up for a data centre you will be working together for a few years. You need to know they have a level of professionalism and service that will see you through. Ask the company themselves to provide references and testimonials to support their credibility. 


7. Geo diversity

Despite being an extremely safe place for a data centre, it is possible that accidents may happen. When they do and centres go out of action, you need to know the company has other centres across the country or region. 

If a disaster befalls the centre then another can keep your business up and running. Discuss this and see where their other centres are located. 


8. Certifications

Like any industry, the data providers will have a number of compliance certifications. These are to protect the centre legally and safeguard you as a customer.

In addition to this, your industry itself may be regulated and have compliance, which the data centre needs to know about. For example, if you have healthcare records and the data centre does not understand the compliance related to record-keeping, then you may be liable. 


9. Data capacity

Data capacity for your London data centre needs to be scalable. Technology is constantly growing and so are the needs of your business. The data centre needs to have the capacity to provide for you, then be able to forecast what else you may need, and be able to increase it quickly. 

Some data centres are huge and can support Amazon sized websites, while others may be much smaller. None are wrong or right, as long as they have the capacity to serve you now and in the future. 


Selecting a London data centre

Now you know the benefits of a London data centre, you just need to find one suitable for your business. Speak with a number of providers and make sure to go through the SLA in depth. 

Your first stop should be Netwise. We have colocation centres in the capital with state of the art facilities. Get in touch today and let us keep you connected.