Sunday, 13 January 2019 Blog ehdf

Decisive factors that determine the locations of Data Centers

Data is critical to every organization and there is a worldwide increase of Colocation Data Center facilities and usage. The location of a Data Centre is as important to the Service Provider as it is to the end customer. Some of the most vital factors that determine the Data Centre sites revolve around the actual physical location, governmental mandates, power and network accessibility, weather conditions, security and professional skills. All of these have a striking effect and contribute to the service quality of any Data Centre.

When choosing a Colocation Data Center location, it is important to consider the proximity of the physical infrastructure for customers. The ripple effect of this filters into customers being more confident in knowing where their Data Center Cage or Racks are situated and if need be, have access to them. Simultaneously, it allows customers with quick response times and minimal latency. On the other hand, for Service Providers, weather conditions and natural disaster-prone locations play a significant role in the choice of location to circumvent the latent risk conditions. For example, at eHosting DataFort, we have invested in cost-efficient cooling systems to sidestep the extreme climatic conditions in the UAE.

Another key factor is the proximity to power resources and strong network connectivity to ensure ongoing availability and speed of data transfer. Added to this is real estate costs that must be considered for long term strategic goals which may include expansion of the data centre.

In recent years there is an increasing need to adhere to governmental rules and regulations which highlight and focus on data protection. Compliance is critical both within the home country as well as the laws of the country in which the Colocation Data Center is situated. While it is not only applicable to specific industries such as oil and gas, finance and healthcare, it has now extended into regional requirements such as the European Union’s GDPR to protect the data and privacy of individuals.

Access to skilled professionals is yet another requisite when choosing to build a Colocation Data Center. With the skills gap in the IT industry, one must ensure that these specialists are available to match the needs of the markets. If not, then the escalating costs of recruiting and retaining these professionals will mean higher budget allocations.

Colocation Data Centers contain critical information which includes customer data and intellectual property and it is important to ensure that the location of the Data Centre is chosen for its physical security where it will be safe from unauthorized access as well as fortified against any Cyber Security breaches.