Nov 06, 2013
Nov 06, 2013
Colocation or managed hosting services? The answer to that question depends largely on the kind of enterprise you operate as well as the resources you currently manage. Colocation gives you the opportunity to “move out” your physical IT assets to a more appropriate location, thus doing away with the ongoing expense of hosting of equipment within your premises as well as the related cost of upkeep and maintenance. Meanwhile, managed hosting extend the advantages even further by providing you with off-site data and systems management.
Both colocation and managed hosting services offer off-site solutions for your data needs with all the advantages that this involves. These advantages include the ability to handle multiple traffic sources through shared connectivity resources, the ability to buy bandwidth as and when required (and scale up when demand peaks), and cutting down costs on in-house data storage and management solutions.
Colocation Hosting Services
Colocation is a an ideal choice for existing companies that have already invested in their own IT infrastructure and staff but face limitations on housing the facilities within their own premises.
Colocation lets you lease space in an off-site data centre where you can install your IT assets and therefore avoid the expenses related to expanding your physical facilities to accommodate an in-house data centre. Having your data on a colocation hosting services provides you with a better bandwidth capacity, power and network redundancy. Colocation hosting services also offer better opportunities for scalability of your business.
Colocation only caters for the physical storing of your data. The upkeep of servers and data management has to be performed by your own personnel since the solutions provider does not manage the system. The provider gives you the necessary space to host your data centre and guarantees the security of the facility so that your data and connectivity are not compromised. Of course, reputable companies will gladly add on a bespoke section of service in which data centre managed services are also used in order to take system management completely out of your hands. In addition, colocation usually includes redundant power connectivity thus keeping the servers in operation without interruption, so that your data is always available to your business, connected to the internet or both, according the requirements at hand.
Managed Hosting Services
Companies looking for more cost-effective solutions, including startups without the necessary capital to invest in the resources mentioned above should consider managed hosting services. However, managed hosting services are not the exclusive domains of startups and smaller companies; larger enterprises seeking growth without placing a substantial initial investment in equipment and personnel would also do well to consider managed hosting services as they guarantee that systems are run and maintained professionally at a much lower price tag than traditionally expected.
A managed hosting service allows the client to lease a server housed in an off-site data centre that is administered by the outsourced solutions provider. This frees the client from the necessity of hiring expensive personnel and all the complications and expenses that go along with hiring an expert contingent. As a small or developing business you will be able to focus more on other areas necessary for company growth, as well as channeling more human resources in these areas.
Managed hosting extends the benefits of colocation by catering for the physical needs of data centre as well as taking over the responsibilities of administering the system and more often, software.
Managed hosting services are better suited for new and rapidly growing businesses that want to ensure their data centres can fulfill the rising expectations of their companies. Outsourcing your data centre entirely can prevent problems that could arise in the case of a rapidly growing enterprise with limited space and restricted capital to acquire the technical resources that can cope with the increase in power and cooling necessities of a flourishing data centre.
Find out more about Colocation Hosting Services in Malta
Find out more about Managed Hosting Services in Malta