Selecting the Right Colocation Provider

The benefits of colocation are well documented, and making a business case for it is often quite easy for many organizations. Once the decision is made to outsource some or all of your IT infrastructure, there is plenty of work to do including selecting the right colocation provider.
There are many factors to consider when selecting the one that can best meet your organization’s needs. Among them:

* Is the colocation provider reliable and financially secure?
* Are the provider’s data center facilities audited for compliance with various regulatory bodies or legislative acts that may affect your IT operations?
* How close do you need to physically be to the provider’s data center? Are there other location considerations?
* Can the provider accommodate your growth or changing needs?
* Are best-of-breed technologies used?
* What security measures are implemented within the data center?
* Does the provider offer the network connectivity you require?
* Does the provider employ the necessary cooling equipment, technologies and power supply to protect your equipment?
* Is customer service and/or technical support available around the clock?
* Does the provider offer consulting or strategic business alignment IT services?
While the most important criteria for selecting a colocation provider varies by each organization’s specific needs and goes far beyond what is included in this document, the information provided offers some guidance on factors to take into consideration.