Will Colocation Services Survive Through The Advent Of Cloud Technology?

Cloud computing is one of the hottest topics in enterprise IT today. However, it's important to take all the hype and raves about it with a grain of salt. You need to be more critical if you're considering getting a cloud server. This article will talk about the problems most companies and businesses face today in terms of information technology. It will also discuss how these problems can be addressed by cloud technology. We'll then discuss the different types of cloud configurations as well as their uses. At the end of this article you should be able to make smarter decisions regarding adapting cloud applications and platforms for your company or business.

Server colocation is lauded mostly for its ability to provide for a physical environment designed especially to meet IT needs. In fact, there's usually a colo centre with its own rack space and fully equipped with power and cooling technologies. There are similarities between a colocation centre and one set up for personal use in order to backup your servers or other data centre hardware. One factor driving many companies to colocation facilities is the need for far greater levels of bandwidth than are available at their current location.

But if you're looking for a cheap yet high quality alternative, you should consider cloud computing since it can provide you with servers and storage spaces. The cloud technology has managed to convert previous sceptics. It's lower rates is one of its most lauded benefits. This is because you only pay for the services you use. Businesses or companies on a small budget can easily and quickly launch their websites for less, since applications are cheaper. The storage space is also more flexible compared to traditional technologies. Storage can be easily increased as your business demands.

However, some circumstances call for dedicated colocation rather than cloud computing. One of the strengths of a service provider is to be able to deliver a solution appropriate to individual customers, rather than one-size-fits-all. In the case of either colocation or cloud, it is the ability of a provider to centralize resources and massively scale that allows a specific cost-effective solution. Data centre building is likewise more economical for providers since they operate on a large scale.

An infrastructure cloud solution is beneficial to the clients since they are able to scale rapidly from just one VM to a virtual data centre. These can also have GigE private and/or public ports, firewalls, and load balancing with little to no financial commitment. All of the capital investments are made by the provider, and are enabled by the simple fact of being able to securely house multiple tenants in a scalable environment. In short, cloud infrastructure is basically a commitment-less deal: you get all the advantages of dedicated colocation without the financial tie-up. If you want to try out a particular application on a cloud, you should try it on a limited basis first. You can always scale up later when it becomes necessary.

Both colocation and cloud services have the similarity of being purchased from outside vendors. The differences between colocation and cloud servers may be irrelevant to the end user. However there can be significant and costly differences between colocation and cloud servers if you're running your website. It's important to consider the needs of your business in order to determine whether you should get colocation or cloud computing.