Tag / uk

by Matt Seaton

6 tips for choosing a London colocation provider for your business

In the modern world of business, technology is king. The vast majority of core business functions rely on implicitly on critical technology. This is especially true when one considers the housing of business-sensitive data. With modern technological advances, it’s now easier than ever for businesses to house their data in many different ways.

Colocation services, which combine space, equipment, and security measures for your data into one packaged service, are particularly popular. If you’re in the market for London colocation services, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll give you seven tips to guide your buying process as you decide on a colocation centre for your business data.

1. Power is king

When it comes to colocation services, it’s true to say that power is king. The amount of power and how it is delivered should be an essential guiding factor in your decision-making process. If you do a poor job of estimating how much power your business will need, both now and in the future, there’s a good chance that you could end up choosing a colocation centre that simply won’t be able to meet your eventual requirements.

To avoid any hiccups here, make sure you do your due diligence before issuing an RFP. Figure out exactly what your power requirements are, not only right now, but also during peak times and as you expand. Some facilities allow you to purchase power as you go (metered power), while others will require you to purchase a certain threshold of power regardless of how much you really use. One option may be cheaper than the other for you, depending on your power requirements.

2. Think long-term scalability

When deciding on a London colocation centre, don’t just decide on a facility that fits your needs right now. Instead, remember that you want to work with an operator that will scale alongside your business. 

Many colocation contracts are for a minimum of one to three years. So ask yourself where your business will be several years from now. If you plan on introducing new technologies, changing how you store data, or make any other significant changes that will affect your power requirements, be sure to factor that into your decision-making process.

You should have a good idea of whether or not your operator of choice will meet your needs now and in the future. Skip this step, and you could easily find yourself trying to break or renegotiate a contract a couple of years down the road.

3. Check uptime reports

One of the most important considerations when a purchasing colocation service is uptime. After all, every minute your network is unavailable will likely cost your business money. Your employees are unable to work, rendering them completely unproductive. But worse yet, if your clients are on the same network, then the disruption to their service will certainly have untold consequences on your ability to retain their business when their contracts come to renewal.

Make sure you never sacrifice anything when choosing a colocation centre, including a poor uptime record. Instead, you want to choose the most reliable option available to you. The facility should have round-the-clock support services, so even if your systems go down overnight, there’s an expert who can help you troubleshoot and fix the issue. This is not the place to skimp on costs.

4. Assess security protocols

Rapid advances in technology have come with an unfortunate consequence: a sudden proliferation in cybercrime. It could be a hacker trying to redirect funds from business operations to a personal accounts. Or, it could be one of your competitors trying to steal proprietary technology. Either way, it’s bad for your business.

That’s why you need to ensure that the operator offers premium-level security. Again, this is not somewhere you want to skimp on costs. A data breach could compromise your entire network, not to mention client data. Remember that physical security should also be a consideration. The data centre should have stringent measures in place that prevent those with ulterior motives from accessing your equipment.

5. Check audit compliance

Few things can be as significant in setting back a company as finding yourself on the wrong side of an audit. With all of the different certifications and regulations in this industry, there are now several different audits that your organisation probably has to face every year.

Make sure that your colocation centre of choice meets any certification requirements and will cooperate with any company or third-party audits.

6. Look at total pricing

Last but not least, make sure that you’re looking at total pricing before you sign on the dotted line. Many cheap colocation centres will ‘nickel and dime’ you for things like additional cable routing and remote hands, so be sure that you’re well aware of all the fees for any service upgrades you may require. 

Choose the right London colocation centre for your business needs

There you have it — now you know how to choose a colocation centre for your business. Be sure to check out our London colocation facilities if you’re looking for reliable, secure, high-value services.

by Matt Seaton

Why choose London colocation?

Sometimes, you may ask yourself what the driving factor behind the critical importance of London as a colocation centre really is. After all, why not look into colocation options outside of the city, in the surrounding counties, or even further afar in a secondary market such as Manchester?

London data centre

The simple fact of the matter is that ISPs and colocation operators naturally gravitate towards centres of economic activity, where network density and commercial potential are at their strongest. In Europe, the most prominent hubs of this kind are London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam.

London and New York are currently estimated to be the world’s biggest retail colocation markets, according to TeleGeography, with each having at least 7 million square feet of gross data centre space. This of course makes London the largest in Europe – by a very considerable margin – over second place, Frankfurt in Germany.

Choosing colocation services in London means choosing to place your critical IT infrastructure in a location which lives and breathes excellence in global technology. Demand in the capital is high as carriers and service providers jostle for access in what is by far Europe’s most important technology hub. This in turn attracts a plethora of tech-start ups and international technology firms, who wish to call London home for their growing businesses.

London is arguably one of the best-connected cities in the world, with every major global carrier having a large presence here. By virtue of this, London is a vital artery between the USA, Europe and Asia – and being on-top of this pulsating technology centre provides you with the very best in connectivity, service and value.

As a consumer, your choice of service providers in the capital is dizzying – a luxury not found in many other metro-areas. Whether you require a single unit of colocation or your own private suite, there are a wealth of options available to you across the city.

Our private, bespoke London data centre is centrally located for easy access, yet remains outside the highly-congested City and Docklands areas. Additionally, our London Central facility is directly connected to both Telehouse North and Harbour Exchange / LD8, forming part of our own private high-capacity fibre ring. This allows us to combine best-in-class amenities with unrivaled Central London value.

We’d love to speak with you about your business requirements, and to tell you more about London as one of the world’s foremost colocation cities, so please do feel free to get in touch.