3 Reasons Your Small Business Might Benefit from Colocation

Today, a business is only as good as its IT infrastructure and team. Cybersecurity and data storage are huge topics of concern in today’s age, with the experts at DataGuard mentioning that “the cost as well as overall volume of data breaches has continued to increase year over year for the past decade.”

That statement doesn’t even begin to capture the enormity of the cybercrime burden that’s been placed on the shoulders of today’s business leaders. Steve Morgan with CSO online puts it into perspective, with his five major cybersec facts, figures, and statistics for this year, including that cyber crime damage costs are predicted to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021, and that cybersecurity spending will exceed $1 trillion from 2017 to 2021.

“But cybercriminals would never attack me,” you might think. “My business is too small for me to worry about being a cyberattack or data breach target… right?”

Wrong.

“No company is safe, as major companies like Equifax and Yahoo can show from their major data breaches,” writes business author Ben Allen, via Fiscal Tiger. “Don’t think you are too small for notice either, because if a criminal sees a vulnerable target, regardless of size, they will go for it.”

Regardless of their size, businesses should be taking security extremely seriously. This includes a plan for recovery in case of an attack, executed by an expert team who knows exactly what they’re doing. This is just one reason your small business might benefit from colocation.

What is Colocation?

Most simply put, colocation, also written as co-location or even just “colo,” is “a data center facility in which a business can rent space for servers and other computing hardware,” according to TechTarget.

Along with the space, you’re also getting electrical power, an internet connection, added security, and the expertise of the support staff running the colo facility. Some centers even offer managed IT — but remember, the one thing you’re providing is the hardware. You still need to provide servers. However, if you have the hardware already, here are three reasons colocation might be right for your growing small business.

1. Expert, Reliable IT Support

Many of the large businesses that go with colocation already have substantial IT and support that would probably be able to manage and service any equipment that they move offsite. Small businesses, on the other hand, can benefit greatly from the expert and reliable IT support services that some colocation providers offer.

Even giant corporations utilize the colo IT teams because they are working with their own infrastructure and are dedicated to keeping everything up and running. For small businesses, maintenance of equipment and processes can take up a large portion of your IT’s bandwidth—with colocation, however, your IT team can focus on growth and innovation instead of worrying about keeping the engine running. Experts have estimated that cybercrime costs businesses and individuals $400 billion annually, which includes costs associated with downtime, data breaches, and poor security. Since the colocation team is full of IT professionals completely dedicated to making sure that everything is running smooth and secure, there’s less of a chance that you’ll experience a breakdown or service interruption at all.

2. Better Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

In the event that there is a situation, the managed IT services provided by your colocation facility will help you get back up and running while reducing as much downtime as they can. In the case of a cyber-attack like ransomware, that means wiping the system and spinning up backups. Physical security and risks, on the other hand, are another matter.

Colocation centers are fantastic for their physical security measures. Mantraps, biometric scanners — these places have it all. Aside from the physical attacker, however, colocation facilities are also built to withstand disasters of all types: fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. With protections like these against catastrophic occurrences, disaster recovery is a breeze.

3. Cutting Costs

Last but certainly not least, those looking to save money by cutting costs could benefit from colocation services. Physical space, heating, cooling, electric, and additional IT support are all capital expenditures that you can save on. Get a financial statement analysis, and figure out how much you might be able to save by switching to colocation—colo services often see reduction by the bundle.

In the end, remember that colocation might not be for you. Look at all of the services and providers and compare and contrast needs, wants, and all of the possibilities in between. In the end, if you’re saving money and increasing security and IT expertise, that’s a win. Study your choices in depth, and make sure to choose what’s best for your business.