Information is what drives business on the current global e-commerce platform. Online stores are some of the heaviest users of digital information that is required in real-time in the course of business. Storing and processing this information for safe and efficient usage is key to the success of your business.
The stored information is data, while storage facilities are data centers. For efficiency, security, and optimum capacity levels, you need a reliable data center to back you. It is important to consider key points when selecting a data center for your business and here are some.
Data center location
You need all your valuable assets within easy reach from your headquarters. That includes your data assets stored off-premises in colocation centers.
Location here refers to proximity to your business and the safety of the center’s physical site. You may need a center within easy reach for your IT team to carry out routine maintenance or emergency intervention at minimal cost and time spend.
Equally important is the physical location of your preferred data center in mitigation of disasters that could hamper your operations. A location in an area on a different power grid, for instance, means that you do not suffer total downtime during outages, and any calamity affecting one area will not wipe out your data.
Center reliability
Remember, data drives your business and your chosen data center should uphold high levels of reliability. The colocation center must bind itself to a Service Level Agreement that provides perfect network uptime and demonstrate the ability to deliver. A 24-hour downtime for an online store can be financially disastrous and, if not careful, can fatally cripple a business.
According to SLA on Intergrid.com.au, the company provides seven data centers interconnected with high-speed intercapital fiber with protection against upstream outage through automatic failovers. They further guarantee 100% network uptime that, though attractive, must be proven through due diligence.
Data security
The next key item to consider is security protocols established by the data center. Since the data center stores every bit of business data, any breach of security could ruin you irreparably. Though not easy for a regular data user to verify the security standards of a center, ask for certifications that can prove an acceptable level of compliance.
Ask for SSAE No.16 and Service Organization Control reports alongside other compliance certification. Confirm that there is adequate facility security through controlled access by biometrics or other electronic systems.
Scalability
Businesses grow over time or diversify products and services that require higher volumes of data to operate. You may start with a few TBs of data but later find that you need a half or full rack lockable storage with multiple ports. Your chosen data center must demonstrate the capacity to scale up your data requirements in the event this need arises.
Evaluate the center's hosting options and choose those that offer you the flexibility to scale according to prevailing needs. This calls for a center that is current with technology and able to serve dynamic business requirements on the fly.
Emergency preparedness
Consider the center’s level of preparedness in the event of a natural disaster or the outages for any other reason as such. These factors greatly compromise reliability and affect uptimes if no proper intervention measures are in place. Check that the center has a reliable UPS system and a backup generator for prolonged outages.
Good and certified firefighting equipment on site is mandatory. Confirm that they have optimum temperature control systems installed. Go over the center’s disaster recovery plan to ensure it meets industry standards.