Guide to Colocation Hosting

A colocation hosting facility is where a web server is housed, along with the resources to keep the server up and running. Between the amount of power web servers require and the difficulty of an individual business to take care of all levels of redundancy, many businesses are turning to colocation servers to manage their web server needs.

The tricky part is choosing between the multitude of colocation hosts out there. After all, moving your company’s website from server to server isn’t an easy task. So it’s natural that you only want to do it once and get your web server colocation right the first time.

When choosing a colocation data center for your business, among the key points to consider are:

1. Location of the colocation facilities;
2. Redundancy plans of the colocation hosting company;
3. Reputation of the colocation host.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose colocation service providers near your IT team

When administering colocation servers, it's the responsibility of your business, not the colocation service providers, to maintain both the hardware and software for your servers. If you choose a company that locates your server colocation at a distance from your IT team, you will either have to pay for the colocation web hosting company's IT team to work on your servers or pay travel expenses for your own IT team. Both come at a stiff premium because server problems don't tend to happen at convenient times.

I recommend: Data Center Map offers a Google map listing the worldwide locations of many colocation hosts so that you can find one nearest your IT team. If there are no reliable colocation hosting companies near your location and/or you don’t have an IT team to manage your server collocation on your own, Adhost offers a managed colocation hosting solution that may fit your needs. They even offer a free online quote if you'd like to compare the cost of your team versus theirs.

Ensure the colocation servers meet your redundancy needs

"Redundancy" is one of those hot topics that IT people love to buzz over. It's a business owner's worst nightmare to have their servers go down for an extended period of time. These downtimes are often preventable with the right backup plans.

I recommend: The terminology used by colocation hosts when talking about redundancy can be confusing. The Colocation Exchange breaks down the buzz words into easily understandable, business-centric definitions. When it comes to redundancy, i/o Data Centers is well-known for developing solutions that fit an individual business’ colocation needs. Request a free quote to see how it can help your business with its colocated hosting.

Check a colocation company's references before signing on the dotted line

Always ask the colocation hosting company for a list of references for clients who have similar solutions to yours, and make sure that you get the real scoop about the company and its service.

I recommend: Web Hosting Talk's Colocation section is the place to go if you want to get the story behind virtually any colocation company. The participants on this forum are experts in hosting and have no difficulties sharing that knowledge. InetServices regularly ranks among the best-managed colocation service providers in online polls.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• It is possible to have too much redundancy in your server colocation. Remember, you're paying for every little extra (whether you see it on the bill or not).

The official source of Colocation Hosting is the Colocation Hosting page at Business.com