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

A 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.

August 13, 2021August 13, 2021 by Matt Seaton

A small business guide to a London data centre

Decades ago, society was content with simple TV broadcasts from only a few channels, and communication was as simple as snail-mail. When computers first came on the scene they were giant machines that would occupy whole rooms.

But as technology has evolved, computers and equipment have shrunk and become cheaper. With this evolution has come rising data processing demands which show no sign of slowing down.

As technological advances continue to change the way companies do business, the need for data and power increases. Data centres are the powerhouses of the industrial world, and a London data centre may be just the thing you need.

What is a data centre?

The internet is now considered a daily essential, and almost everybody owns a smartphone, allowing 24/7 connection to the online world. With over 60% of the world’s population online at any given time, the internet plays a huge role in our lives. This means the demand for real-time data transmission is at an all-time high.

The need for computers and other networking equipment that can handle these requests was the driver for the emersion of the modern data centre.

Data centres are computing and networking facilities tasked to collect, store, process, and distribute data. They are responsible for data backup and recovery, as well as networking.

Data centres connect communication networks so users can access information remotely. They host websites and manage e-mails and messaging services. Data centres also support cloud storage and e-commerce transactions.

Importance of data centres

Almost every modern business needs a business data centre. Large corporations or government institutions may choose to build and manage them in-house if they have the resources, but most companies choose to rent services at colocation facilities.

Companies that handle finance, telecommunication, retail, education and social networking services process tons of information daily. Any business that produces or uses data requires a data centre to optimise running its operations. Data centres offer fast secure access to data that cannot be matched.

The idea of storing data and resources on home or work computers is quickly being replaced by an offshore storage mentality. Many companies are migrating their data to data centre services to reduce the cost of running in-house servers and to ensure failsafe reliability that cannot be achieved in the home or workplace.

What Netwise’s London data centres can do for you

Data centres in London are far more than just safe and secure facilities equipped with reliable power and network access. They are quickly becoming a valuable addition to many businesses, as a dependable extension of their IT team.

The Netwise team prides itself on quality service and round the clock care to ensure your data is accessible and protected.

Reliability

Data centres are built to provide around the clock service. With every consideration taken care of, you can be sure your servers will be running around the clock for you and your clients.

Netwise offers the following services to ensure your data is secure and reliable:

Multiple power sources that are stable and uninterruptible
Super-efficient cooling and ventilation
Reliable backup generators
24×7 technical support and security
World-class network and connectivity services

Power outage protection

Onsite power failures are incurable when they result in a loss of data. Technological and natural power outages can cause disaster for an organisation. Loss of power for as little as 1/50 of a second can trigger events that can keep equipment unavailable for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.

Outsourcing control to reduce the impact of a power failure is a great way to ensure this doesn’t happen to you. Date centres make use of both grid power and independent generators and UPS’s. This means you’ll be protecting yourself against power outages and ensuring your servers are never out of action.

Clean power

Utility power isn’t always clean, creating a sustainable future is everyone’s responsibility. This is why Netwise uses 100% renewable energy sourced from the wind, sun and sea. Our data centres are some of the greenest facilities in Europe, helping you and your company reduce your carbon footprint.

London colocation tailored to suit your needs

Available in near-limitless space, this is colocation tailored to your needs. With a range of power and connectivity configurations, you will get a secure, resilient server. Select from 1U, 2U & 4U colocation, quarter rack, half-rack or full rack options at a range of price points to fit your budget.

Not sure what you need? Use the colocation calculator to help get you started.

24/7 service

Available with all colocation service options, you will receive 24/7 phone, chat and email customer support. You will have access to full remote hands and management options.

Change your focus

With your data needs taken care of, you and your company can focus on your core objectives, rather than technological maintenance. Spend more time focusing on your profit margin and services, and less time worrying about your server.

Get ready for your London data centre

There’s no question that using a London data centre can bring peace of mind to you and your company. A business data centre in London will ensure you have reliable, around the clock access to your data and network. Using clean energy to cover all your data needs, you can be confident you’re doing right by your clients and the world.

Come in for a tour, or give us a call today to find out how Netwise can help you with your data needs.

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by Matt Seaton

London East Build Blog – Weeks 66 to 68

Focus on the Build Blog this time around has been firmly on progress with cabling and containment, which continues to develop across the entire site.

A hefty quantity of the largest internal cabling is now all in place, totalling around 8 tonnes. This will now be terminated, along with a host of smaller internal cabling, while additional large external cabling is run in thereafter, as we head ever closer to energisation at London East.

Weekly overview

We’ll get straight into the photos again this time around, as we take a look at cabling and containment developments on-site at NLE.

Transformer — The transformer base is now ready for the installation of the GRP enclosure, and the transformer itself

Cabling — This is a view inside of LV Room B, as some of the large ~300kg inter-room cables are run in, which will link the LV boards for various functions / reasons – they are simply laid in loose at this point in time

As you can see, the main focus here has been on continued progression with cabling and containment, which will continue into the next instalment of the Build Blog.

As always, other works have of course been underway, both in the development of London East, and elsewhere across our ever-growing operation, however we’re keeping this post concise and on topic.

What’s next?

As with the previous ‘what’s next?’ update, we’re looking at more of the same over the next few weeks. We have a vast amount of cabling and termination to undertake, which we hope to see nearing completion by the time we next post to the Build Blog.

We’ll also be moving onto further work on fire and VESDA systems, and will be moving ahead with commissioning on cooling systems, as well as continued work on power, such as the roll out of ‘small power infrastructure’ (supplementary building-wide power sockets for cleaning equipment etc).

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 by Matt Seaton

London East Build Blog – Weeks 63 to 65

Vast changes again this time, as the electrical works push on at pace both inside and outside of the new facility.

While visually the site now appears a little less finished than before, with masses of flooring taken up to accommodate the newly installed containment and cabling, from a more wholistic view point, things are pushing forwards in a big way at the moment.

Weekly overview

The pace of work and progress on-site has certainly been turned up a gear, as multiple trades now work together on various aspects of the facility’s power systems, alongside work on other related areas to maintain solid progression throughout.

We have a lot of photos to present this time around, so rather than spending too much time on the introduction, we’ll let them do the talking.

LV Boards — Our LV boards have arrived with us, split across two deliveries due to their size

Exterior — Further progress has also been made outside the building, with the trenches dug for the ducting that will carry our HV feeds into our demise

As you can see, it’s been a busy few weeks on-site here at NLE.

Things are certainly ramping up as we move into the closing stages of the opening phase of the project, which will allow our first clients to install kit into Data Hall 1.

It’s certainly a rather intense time to be a part of the NLE project, as multiple trades push on with various aspects of the build in tandem, ultimately taking us towards the finish line at pace, and in line with expectations on our phase one launch.

What’s next?

For the time being, much of the same. Progress will continue on electrical over the coming weeks, and we will also be pushing ahead with other areas, including the various cooling systems throughout the facility.

July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Matt Seaton

What are the services that a colocation data centre offers?

Many businesses are choosing to host their servers and other critical equipment with colocation data centre providers rather than managing this in-house. Let’s look at some of the services offered by colocation providers and why you should consider making the switch.

Projections show the colocation data centre market growing by more than 13 per cent annually between 2021 and 2028. It’s an industry that’s expected to be worth more than $117 billion at that point.

What is a colocation data centre?

A colocation data centre is a facility that can host your servers and other critical IT infrastructure for you.

Rather than keeping this equipment on-site at your own premises, the colocation centre provides the physical space and resources to operate this on your behalf with much greater success. You still have full access to your equipment, but it’s housed inside the data centre and uses its network, cooling, and other related infrastructure.

It’s important to note that in a colocation arrangement, you still own the equipment. You’re not renting the hardware from the data centre, only the space and services needed for its operation.

Services offered by colocation data centres

Using a colocation centre (also known as “colo”) gives you the flexibility of managing your own equipment without having to pay for and maintain the infrastructure in-house. These providers offer several services.

1. Better infrastructure

A colocation data centre operator such as London-based Netwise need to maintain high-quality, reliable infrastructure to attract customers. They host equipment for many companies so their resources are typically much better than the average business would have in-house.

Power

Colocation providers offer redundant, high-capacity power feeds to ensure your servers stay online and accessible. This includes UPS protection options for short-term outages and diesel generators with 48-hour on-site fuel supplies.

Network connectivity

To provide the bandwidth required to run dozens or even hundreds of servers, a data centre offers high-speed internet connections with the option to choose from many different network providers. This ensures that there’s no distinguishable difference in latency between a colocated server and an on-site server.

The level of network connectivity in a data centre offers better performance than a local connection.

Facilities

Data centres can also provide better facilities than hosting your servers in-house. They use the latest cooling technologies, a high degree of physical security, and more modern rack mount systems than you may have available locally.

2. Uptime guarantees

If you’re hosting your server in-house, any downtime is your responsibility. Colocation providers offer service level agreements (SLA) that include uptime guarantees.

Netwise offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee, giving you the peace of mind that your servers will be available when you need them most.

3. Multiple geographic locations

Some colocation data centres, like Netwise, offer several geographic locations to choose from. This lets you host your server in a location of your choice, whether that’s one that physically close to your business or one that’s closer to your customers.

This lets you minimize your server’s latency by locating it closer to where the majority of its traffic comes from as well as have it nearby if your technicians are handling the maintenance.

4. Physical and network security

Most colocation providers provide a high level of physical security including guards, 24/7/365 surveillance systems, and biometric authorisation systems. This helps protect your servers from unauthorized in-person access.

They also provide better network security than many companies can maintain in-house. They stay on the leading edge of technological advances in network security, both in the tools they use and the training they provide their staff.

Maintaining the same degree of security in-house would require constant training for your IT staff as well as considerable costs for the latest equipment.

5. Cost savings

Your company could handle most of the services in this list in-house if you wanted. But the cost to do so would be much higher than the fees you’ll pay a colocation provider.

You would need to pay for faster network connections, new equipment, and other infrastructure costs. Some of those would be one-time costs while others would be ongoing.

You would also face higher payroll costs for training and maintaining round-the-clock support staff.

6. Service and support

When you host your servers in a data centre, you can choose to have your technical staff handle the maintenance or you can set up a support contract with the data centre provider. You may also want to consider a hybrid approach, with the data centre staff handling some tasks and your technicians handling others.

It may be more cost-effective for the provider’s staff to handle things like replacing a defective part or upgrading an internal component on your server. This avoids the need to send your technicians to the data centre to do the work.

7. Scalability

Colocation data centres have plenty of space for growth. If you want to add a new server or some other type of hardware to your network, they’ll most likely have the physical space and rack capacity to do so quickly.

If you’re hosting your server on-site, the amount of space you have available could limit your expansion options. In a case like that, you might face considerable capital costs to expand your server room or move to a larger facility.

Choosing the right UK-based colocation provider

If you’re looking for a UK-based colocation data centre, Netwise is here to help. We offer state-of-the-art colocation facilities in the centre of London that can connect you to users around the globe.

We offer a range of colocation packages ranging from 1U to 4U packages right up to full rack colocation. Get in touch with us today to see how we can provide you with reliable, high-performance hosting for your servers and other equipment.