Why Colocation Closes the Gap Between Cloud and On-Premises Hosting
The cloud is massively powerful, but you may not find pure cloud infrastructure to be ideal for your needs. Do you feel like your business cannot support change, yet you need to improve your network processing power and data storage? Most organizations I’ve encountered are reluctant to shift to cloud infrastructure entirely but are still concerned about in-house data center compliance and data security. If this describes your situation, you can get the most of your existing infrastructure as you consider a broader cloud inauguration with cost-effective colocation servers.
Cloud hosting is not without its fair share of drawbacks. So, how do you leverage its best traits without letting go of your on-premises hosting; and with no blowback? Keep reading to find out.
Cloud vs. on-premises hosting
One can easily classify cloud hosting as superior to on-premises hosting due to the following advantages:
- Flexibility when it comes to cost – You don’t have to invest in system infrastructure and only pay for what you use.
- Outsource complex operations – You get to enjoy pre-existing solutions that would be too time-consuming and costly to generate in-house or purchase.
- High-tech applications – You have access to cutting-edge innovations in IoT (Internet of Things), machine learning, and AI.
- Immeasurable power – You have access to all the processing power and storage you need without delays.
Managing a data center by yourself can be time-consuming and expensive. You have to pay rent, ensure the continuity and success of your business, maintain and cool servers, and generate and pay for power. All this relies on round-the-clock service, seeing that unanticipated downtime can significantly damage your reputation and financial prospects. At the same time, you could be stalling the geographic expansion and growth by over-relying on obsolete equipment; and, the cost and time implications of installing new equipment have the same effect.
All the fuss about cloud hosting aside, it isn’t necessarily good for everyone, especially if you are moving to cloud-only hosting. Most organizations prefer to keep their sensitive data in-house due to compliance concerns, and with good reason. Some workloads aren’t easy to implement on SaaS models or entirely virtual programs. Also, maybe you are looking to leverage your existing infrastructure fully before considering transitioning to cloud hosting.
If the above details describe your current situation, you need a hybrid cloud model. A system that combines upgradable constituents of cloud hosting with on-premises hosting. While a hybrid cloud model may be ideal for your business, it is crucial to note that you may still experience additional costs, inflexibility, and inefficiency of on-premises hosting. You would have to keep paying for on-premises systems you barely use, even after moving most of your resource utilization online. But, you can choose an even better option; a colocation and hybrid cloud model.
What is colocation?
Colocation grants you the luxury of utilizing your own infrastructure on a site that you don’t necessarily possess. While you supply the system equipment, your colocation provider takes care of the power, premises, continuity, and connectivity. And, you get all these impeccable services at very competitive prices, all thanks to colocation providers’ investment in economies of scale. In a nutshell, you would need hundreds of thousands of dollars in investment to achieve the same level of in-house service, and you would still take longer to record any material benefits while experiencing limited flexibility.
How does colocation support your hybrid cloud model?
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Performance – Most colocation providers give you access to strong, high-speed corporate-level data connectivity with separate networks from multiple carriers.
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Availability – Colocation data centers are built to consider all possibilities of downtime or power failures. They have failsafe systems that include backup systems, multiple power supplies, and multiple ISPs internet connections to ensure you remain online even if your line plant is damaged or there’s a power cut. These failsafe systems are also inspected regularly to ensure they are up to the task when needed.
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Resilience – For continuity, colocation data centers have data backup processes to safeguard your data in the event of flooding, fire, or such disasters, and climate control measures to prevent the overheating of servers. If your business has high rigidity requirements, you can pay for an adequate level of flexibility to ensure the continuity of operations. For instance, you can pay for two colocation centers to manage your data in different parts of the country.
If you are excited about transitioning to cloud hosting but are cautious of data security, colocation and hybrid cloud hosting might be ideal for your business. It is a cost-effective, flexible solution for scaling your organization.