Colocation seems to becoming a more popular way for companies to avoid high costs related to disaster recovery and preparedness. However, as more firms turn to colocation centers to protect their data, they need to consider their data center security needs as well.
According to CBR Online, cost efficient disaster recovery solutions are becoming a top priority for most companies, especially small businesses, to the detriment of data center capabilities in some cases. In fact, some firms are sacrificing reliability for cost, a situation no company should risk.
“DR is going through some changes – a lot of users are moving from a gold standard to a more cost efficient model where they know there may be a slightly increased failure but they are able to save substantial costs,” Rakesh Kumar, VP of research at Gartner, noted about the trend.
In order to avoid sacrificing security, reliability or cost, businesses should consider investing in dedicated server rack security within their colocation strategy. By deploying biometric technology, companies can protect their data better than ever and still benefit from the savings of a colocation data center.
In a recent guide to selecting the right colocation provider, TechTarget included customization as a key consideration for businesses.
“While colocation data centers are set up as lights-out operations, customers still can be on-site to manage their systems when needed,” the news source noted. “It’s one way that colocation differs from cloud hosting. If the colocation company meets these requirements, compare its managed services, specialization and other factors to choose your partner.”
Any firm concerned with the security of their colocation-based servers that wants to optimize both disaster recovery and reliable protection should ensure they are investing in a provider that allows for on-site management customization to include biometric security measures. As such, a business can eliminate the risk of another firm the provider services accessing its data, or other forms of unauthorized access. While colocation centers are necessarily less secure than other options, this also offers peace of mind.
Colocation is a key opportunity for businesses, especially SMBs, to keep their data center costs down without sacrificing quality, reliability or security. Firms need to ensure they aren’t putting their own operations at risk by not taking advantages of these opportunities. The right partnership could help companies optimize their workflow, data protection and IT budget.