What are the Benefits of Colocation for Your Small Business?

Calling all small business owners: discover the benefits of colocation hosting for small businesses in this article.

Between 2012 and 2017, the colocation industry experienced 8% average annual growth. With the rise of cloud computing, more and more companies are reaping the benefits of colocation. The general idea is that a facility provider offers space, cooling systems, and racks, while you provide the hardware.

If you’re wondering if colocating your servers and hardware is right for your business, there are several positive factors to consider. Let’s break down several of the benefits you may experience by deciding to colocate your servers.

1. Support for Your Hardware

When you purchase servers or other similar hardware normally, managing the equipment is on you. Sure, you may be able to get some assistance from the manufacturer. The specific servers you purchased probably come with technical manuals that will offer some assistance.

But for most business owners, this information isn’t enough. If you choose to colocate, the investment you make in your facility will also go towards providing you valuable support for your servers and computers. You can think of this idea as renting a home vs. buying a home.

When you own your own home, you are responsible for all maintenance, upkeep, and repair costs. On the other hand, if you rent your space from a landlord, they are responsible for covering all of the costs of maintenance. And unlike owning vs renting a home, whether you colocate or keep servers on-site, there is no difference in equity or assets.

2. Easier Contingency Plans for Disasters

Imagine a worst-case scenario: Your server system goes completely down. You can’t access any of your data or the important records you need to run your business.

When you have to manage your own servers, you’ve got to figure out a solution for this problem by yourself. Most companies are not sufficiently prepared to deal with these scenarios, which is why they are often devastating for a business. In fact, the average business is so unprepared that 2 out of 3 small businesses would shut down if they experienced a serious data breach.

This isn’t a problem you deal with alone when you find server colocation. You’ll have access to the experts on staff at your colocation space. They will work with you to ensure that you recover your data by providing backup services and contingency options for your hardware.

3. Smaller Office Footprint

Modern servers and computer hardware let your company do some wonderful things. Unfortunately, despite how far technology has come, this equipment still takes up a significant amount of space. It’s not enough to throw your servers in a back closet and shut the door – servers need adequate airflow, cooling, and racks to keep them running.

When you colocate, there’s no need to worry about relocating your company just to fit new servers. All of these concerns are handled by the company who manages your colocation facilities.

Final Thoughts on Server Colocation

Like other business tasks, you need to think carefully about the vendor you choose to colocate your servers. Remember to talk to multiple options and get recommendations from your network. For more tips on colocation and other important business concepts, visit our blog.