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| A typical server "rack", commonly seen in colocation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Almost every small business reaches a point where it needs
to transition its IT needs from a small in-house solution to a larger, more
efficient off-site location. Going from
keeping everything in-house to relinquishing complete control is a difficult pill for many small businesses
the swallow. Recently, managed
colocation has proven to be the ideal bridge for transitioning small businesses
in a variety of different circumstances.
Managed Colocation Allows Businesses to Invest in Hardware
without Requiring a Full Support Infrastructure
A common transition small businesses must make is moving
from outsourcing everything (managed hosting) to taking more control over the
IT infrastructure. Instead of bringing
everything in-house, managed colocation gives small businesses the opportunity
to take control over hardware decisions without forcing them to invest in a
full support infrastructure, including redundant facility and expertly trained
IT staff. From managed colocation, small
businesses then have an opportunity to transition to unmanaged colocation in
which they develop their own IT staff.
Businesses Can Transfer Hardware Out of the Office to Gain
Access to Superior Resources and Protection
Another common point of transition for small businesses is
realizing the amount of resources required to support their hardware exceeds
the resources they currently have available.
The most common resource shortages include space, connectivity, and
power. Instead of building a completely
new data center, it is easier and less expensive for small businesses to switch
to managed colocation. It allows them to
leverage their current hardware, get access to a better facility, and minimize
additional expenses.
Managed Colocation Allows Small Businesses to Allocate Their
In-House IT Staff on Business-Centric Tasks Rather than Maintenance
At some point, every business must refocus their IT staff
towards business centric tasks or hire a larger staff in order to accommodate
the necessary day-to-day maintenance. A
simple way to refocus in-house staff is moving the servers and networking
solutions to a co-location facility.
Managed colocation not only provides a facility, but also eliminates the
need to hire additional staff for day-to-day maintenance. This allows small businesses to maximize all
of their personnel while simultaneously leveraging greater buying power and
improved IT infrastructure.
Businesses Can Expand Their IT Footprint As-Needed
The biggest mistakes small businesses make in regards to
their IT needs is overestimating their future growth. Overestimating future IT needs forces small
businesses to over invest in infrastructure and staff. As a result, they have less capital to invest
in more business centric, profitable endeavors.
Managed Colocation Allows Businesses to Continue
Transitioning at Their Own Pace
The final reason managed colocation is an ideal solution for
businesses currently transitioning their IT operations is because provides a
logical stepping stone. From managed
colocation, businesses can choose to either take more control via unmanaged
colocation or sell assets and step back to managed hosting. As a result, managed colocation allows small
businesses to transition in either direction seamlessly.
It is increasingly difficult for small businesses to
accurately predict what their technological and IT needs will be in the mid to
distant future. As a result, choosing a managed colocation strategy which provides them with multiple options is a safe
route which still provides scalability and flexibility.
