MAKE A CHOICE - CO-LOCATION VS. IN-HOUSE DATA CENTER

Data is an integral part of every enterprise and even a minute of data center downtime can cost a fortune to the company. Thus, data management is essential for smooth functioning of business. Most popular choices for this are an internal data center or a Co location facility. In order to decide which option can be valuable to the business, here are the pros and cons of both.

Parameters	In-house Data Center	Co- location Facility
Investment	In-house data ceter is an expensive option and demands lot of physical space, equipment costs, along with high maintenance costs.	In a Co location facility, a provider faces all the start-up risks and organizations usually share costs with other Co location customers. Thus, eliminating upfront costs associated with building an in-house data center.
Environmental Conditions	In order to derive high-performance from data center, environmental conditions including temperature, cooling; need to be at correct levels. Maintaining accurate environment conditions all the time can be challenging in the office space.	A Co location facility manages data center environment with ease as in pooled resources money is not a constraint, so proper attention is given to internal climate, air conditioning, temperature etc.
Scalability	Computing needs change at a fast pace and with an in-house data center options get limited. For instance- If company needs to scale bandwidth it can take weeks or even months.	In a Co location facility scalability is not a concern as its set up is turnkey in nature so services can be scaled up and down with less turnaround time.
Security	In-house data center can also provide reliable network but it is difficult for small organization to provide high-end security as it can be too expensive.	A Co location facility contains around the clock security including built-in firewalls and surveillance equipment. Thus ensuring business data is safe.
Use of Current Resources	An in house data center demands full time IT staff and latest equipment to derive peak performance. Thus, it requires IT staff to devote few hours to day-to-day operations. This overall results in high maintenance costs and work force.	After shifting to a Co location facility a company can experience significant reduction in IT expenditure, as companies have fixed monthly plans. In addition, company’s existing resources can concentrate on core business operations that drive revenue.

Whether a Data Center Co location Services or an in-house data center, an ideal option for the company depends upon many factors such as budget, availability of resources, equipment needs, preferences and more. Many companies opt for a hybrid approach wherein they maintain their internal data center and make use of services of a Co location facility.