• About Us
  • Partnership Opportunities
  • Privacy Policy

Data Center Frontier

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing.

  • Cloud
    • Hyperscale
  • Colo
    • Site Selection
    • Interconnection
  • Energy
    • Sustainability
  • Cooling
  • Technology
    • Internet of Things
    • AI & Machine Learning
    • Edge Computing
    • Virtual Reality
    • Autonomous Cars
    • 5G Wireless
    • Satellites
  • Design
    • Servers
    • Storage
    • Network
  • Voices
  • Podcast
  • White Papers
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
    • Events
    • Newsletter
    • Companies
    • Data Center 101
  • Jobs
You are here: Home / Special Reports / Ecosystems at The Edge: Cloud vs. Colocation

Ecosystems at The Edge: Cloud vs. Colocation

By Paul Gillin - September 28, 2021

Ecosystems at The Edge: Cloud vs. Colocation

A data hall inside an Iron Mountain data center in Manassas, Virginia (Photo: Rich Miller)

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Last week in our special report series, we looked at why interconnection is key for edge data centers. We also explored some of the factors that should be considered when selecting a colocation provider. In our final article in the series, we’ll compare the cloud versus colocation.

colocation

Get the full report.

Cloud vs. Colocation

The major cloud computing providers are all aggressively deploying edge infrastructure in similar ways. Their objective is to extend their existing platforms to core and edge data centers so that customers have identical functionality regardless of location. To do this, the big providers are pursuing a two-pronged strategy of installing their infrastructure inside customers’ data centers and also in local telecommunications facilities. There are several advantages to this approach, chief among them being the ability for cloud providers to quickly provision infrastructure that fully compatible with the cloud regions.

However, limitations on size, bandwidth and compute capacity may challenge some to provide their customers with the full range of capabilities needed to build scalable edge architectures. Regional service breakdowns show that service availability can vary significantly by location.

Most of the major public cloud providers don’t operate a network of wholly-owned edge colocation facilities, so they must rely on partnerships and workforces they don’t control. These relationships will take some time to develop and can be fragile.

Edge infrastructure that isn’t designed to be managed remotely or that must be administered by contract personnel can be a risky proposition in far-flung locations. And self-contained miniature data centers are prone to theft, weather damage and unplanned outages. Most companies building out edge networks will want infrastructure that can’t be taken offline by a traffic accident.

Data Center Frontier’s Editor in Chief Rich Miller and executives from Iron Mountain discuss Ecosystems and the Edge. Watch on demand today!

Over time, cloud providers will no doubt address these structural limitations, but some customers may not want to wait. The fastest, safest and most flexible option for them is to locate edge infrastructure in established colocation regions that are fully equipped and staffed by trained personnel and that already support local ecosystems.

  • ROI is faster because regional colocation providers already have the facilities and relationships to support edge buildouts.
  • Regional colocation centers can scale to meet capacity demands and, in most cases, are fully compliant with relevant regulations.
  • The staff is trained and familiar with the equipment they work with every day.
  • Facilities are secure and reliable with power, environmental and seismic controls that already meet local requirements.
  • The staff speaks the local language and understands the culture and expectations of the ultimate end-users of edge services.
  • Connections to nearby services can be quickly facilitated through peering and interconnection.

Most colocation providers also have existing ecosystems of customers and partners to whom new customers can connect. For example, Iron Mountain Data Centers’ rapidly growing ecosystem with hundreds of third-party partners provides specialized network connectivity, access to fiber networks, software-defined networks, streaming services, specialized peering solutions, vertical market expertise and access to data centers in specific geographic and remote locations.

Many established co-location providers have also adopted public application program interfaces for rapid onboarding of customers and partners and have existing backend integration with a wide variety of other providers, including telcos, cloud platforms and colocation partners.

Download the full report, “The State of Data Center Cooling: A Key Point in Industry Evolution and Liquid Cooling” courtesy of TMGcore for an exclusive interview with Paul Gillin, Rich Miller, and Mark Lewis and Mark Kidd of Iron Mountain.  

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Tagged With: Cloud, Colocation, Data Center Frontier Special Report, Edge Computing, Iron Mountain

Newsletters

Stay informed: Get our weekly updates!

Are you a new reader? Follow Data Center Frontier on Twitter or Facebook.

About Paul Gillin

Paul Gillin is a speaker, writer and technology journalist who has written five books and more than 400 articles on the topic of social media and digital marketing. A technology journalist for 25 years, he has served as Enterprise Editor of the tech news site SiliconAngle since 2014. He was founding editor-in-chief of B2B technology publisher TechTarget, and served as editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Voices of the Industry

Overcoming Supply Chain Roadblocks: How to Avoid Disruptions in Your Data Center

Overcoming Supply Chain Roadblocks: How to Avoid Disruptions in Your Data Center The data center industry continues to experience significant global supply chain problems. Brett Williams of Service Express, explores the importance of leveraging the secondary hardware market to overcome supply chain roadblocks.

White Papers

edge data centers

User Experience is Everything at the Edge

Under the legacy approach of centralized data centers and core networks, too many challenges around capacity, lower latency and cost exist. Get the new report from EdgeConnex that explores how edge data centers can solve for these issues by moving computing and data storage closer to the end-user, thus enabling higher capacity, lower latency and reduced expenditures — and ultimately, improving user experience.

Get this PDF emailed to you.

We always respect your privacy and we never sell or rent our list to third parties. By downloading this White Paper you are agreeing to our terms of service. You can opt out at any time.

DCF Spotlight

Data center modules on display at the recent Edge Congress conference in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Rich Miller)

Edge Computing is Poised to Remake the Data Center Landscape

Data center leaders are investing in edge computing and edge solutions and actively looking at new ways to deploy edge capacity to support evolving business and user requirements.

An aerial view of major facilities in Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia. (Image: Loudoun County)

Northern Virginia Data Center Market: The Focal Point for Cloud Growth

The Northern Virginia data center market is seeing a surge in supply and an even bigger surge in demand. Data Center Frontier explores trends, stats and future expectations for the No. 1 data center market in the country.

See More Spotlight Features

Newsletters

Get the Latest News from Data Center Frontier

Job Listings

RSS Job Openings | Pkaza Critical Facilities Recruiting

  • Critical Power Energy Manager - Data Center Development - Ashburn, VA
  • Site Development Manager - Data Center - Ashburn, VA
  • Data Center Facility Operations Director - Chicago, IL
  • Electrical Engineer - Senior - Dallas, TX
  • Mechanical Commissioning Engineer - Calgary, Alberta

See More Jobs

Data Center 101

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Open Spectrum, brings our readers a series that provides an introductory guidebook to the ins and outs of the data center and colocation industry. Think power systems, cooling, solutions, data center contracts and more. The Data Center 101 Special Report series is directed to those new to the industry, or those of our readers who need to brush up on the basics.

  • Data Center Power
  • Data Center Cooling
  • Strategies for Data Center Location
  • Data Center Pricing Negotiating
  • Cloud Computing

See More Data center 101 Topics

About Us

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing. We write about what’s next for the Internet, and the innovations that will take us there. We tell the story of the digital economy through the data center facilities that power cloud computing and the people who build them. Read more ...
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Our Founder

Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 20 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution. Meet the DCF team.

TOPICS

  • 5G Wireless
  • Cloud
  • Colo
  • Connected Cars
  • Cooling
  • Cornerstone
  • Coronavirus
  • Design
  • Edge Computing
  • Energy
  • Executive Roundtable
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Hyperscale
  • Interconnection
  • Internet of Things
  • Machine Learning
  • Network
  • Podcast
  • Servers
  • Site Selection
  • Social Business
  • Special Reports
  • Storage
  • Sustainability
  • Videos
  • Virtual Reality
  • Voices of the Industry
  • Webinar
  • White Paper

Copyright Data Center Frontier LLC © 2022