| By :
Dirik Hameed
The process of server colocation is when an individual's but more often a business's server is housed within the facilities of a colocation service provider. Within these facilities the server is connected to an internet backbone. Alternately instead of a business moving its servers to the service provider's premises, a server can be rented from the colocation provider. A colocation provider can custom-build a server, including the hardware and software, according to the needs of the business, which the business can then rent. A great benefit offered by colo providers is the protection of the server from vandalism, fire and theft. The majority of server co-location facilities include lots of security measures, such as multiple connection feeds, security cameras and backup power generators. Businesses can benefit from collocation providers through their extremely reliable internet connectivity and the fact that they can cover erratic or large bandwidth needs. Bandwidth can be purchased by businesses more cheaply though colocation providers than getting it independently. Businesses may want to consider utilising a managed server. Managed server services involve the server colocation provider fixing server problems, maintaining the server, monitoring it and backing up data on it. Utilising a managed server can help businesses to reduce costs associated with infrastructure and resources and will save them needing to expand their IT department or have a big IT team. A business that does not choose a managed server will need to provide people who can maintain its server, carry out server administration and monitor how it is performing. If the business requires server upgrades they can be done by the server colocation provider whenever they are needed, irrespective of whether the server is managed by the provider or by the business. When deciding which colo provider to select, there are important questions to ask. Businesses should compare server colocation providers and find out if they offer round-the-clock access to the server housing facilities, 24/7 onsite support if required, how much their remote support service costs and how quick it is. In addition find out if the facilities have been fortified against earthquakes, fires and the like. Find out about any additional services they may provide, for example load balancing, firewalls and data backup. Selecting the right server for business server colocation depends on the requirements of the business. The business will have to choose whether they want managed server services or to maintain servers themselves. Businesses need to take into account the level of support and services offered by colo providers and not base a decision purely on costs. If businesses choose a good colo provider they will benefit from extremely reliable internet connectivity and a highly secure location for their servers within the facilities of the server colocation provider.
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