We know there are several questions to consider when choosing the location of a data center, but did you know you should continue to ask those questions as you rent? To keep your business the best it can be, your colocation data center should be efficient, cost-effective, and reliable. Here are some points to remember when determining the efficiency of your center!

1. Is It Cost-Effective?

Most starter-racks begin at about $300 a month. If you’re paying far more than that, you’re likely paying for services you don’t need or not getting enough bang for your buck. On the other hand, if you’re paying much less, your data center may not be doing enough for your daily needs. Take a look back at your finances and make sure the pricing works for you!

2. How is Its Backup and Disaster Recovery?

Backups, disaster recovery, and security are crucial to keep data centers efficient. The best centers have 24/7 human monitoring in case of emergencies such as a breach, and live equipment monitoring as well that won’t go down during a storm. Click here for more information on disaster recovery, as well as tips for what to look for in a colocation data center!

3. What Is Its Tier?

While these classifications are not legally required for data centers, they can certainly help you determine if your center is working best for you. In a nutshell, Tier 1 is the most basic, going all the way up to 4. Tier 4 is typically the best option, as it has the best systems and backups to keep operations running no matter what. Maybe you’ve been getting by on a Tier 2 data center for some time, but now you’re ready for an upgrade! More details on data center reliability standards can be found here.

4. Does It have a Hybrid Option?

In this day in age, having virtualization in the data center is becoming more necessary than ever. A hybrid center allows for the stability of a physical center as well as the flexibility of a virtual one. In fact, IDC found that 90% of data centers will rely on hybrid models. Does that sound good to you? It should! Virtualization allows for you to access data no matter where you are, and physical data centers have on-hand security, to name just a couple of reasons why hybrid models work efficiently. See if you can upgrade your center or move to a hybrid one!

Ready to get started? Find the right center for you at Coloco.