When companies evaluate potential data centers and colocation service providers, they normally compare them using some kind of criteria or checklist. However, many such efforts fail to sufficiently evaluate the breadth and depth of detail necessary to make a well informed decision. This white paper examines several key criteria as they relate to service delivery from a data center or colocation provider. Specifically, this paper examines the importance of factors such as risk mitigation, operational processes and service assurance, combined with maintenance and lifecycle strategies that directly contribute to “high-availability service delivery.”
The search for the right data center or service provider to support colocation or hosting requirements is a challenging endeavor. Companies rely on data centers or colocation service providers to support mission critical information technology (IT) infrastructure and maintain business continuity. A high- availability data center or colocation service provider minimizes the chances of downtime occurring for critical applications and makes it easier to secure and manage a company’s IT infrastructure requirements. As a result, the decision of choosing a data center and/or a colocation service provider to entrust and house their business or mission critical IT applications becomes even more important.