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Colocation web hosting is perhaps the most expensive type of hosting available, so most people don’t consider it when shopping for a potential hosting plan. In fact, most people don’t even know what a colocation hosting plan is, or what the term “colocation” means. A colocation hosting plan is a service that allows you to store your privately owned web server in a state-of-the-art data center that is secured and stabilized at all times. In essence, it is a way to save money from having to pay for an office or regular storage unit (which is really not the best environment for a web server). A colocation facility provides an ideal climate, constant airflow, and specialized server racks that are specifically configured to accommodate the hardware needs of a web server. The following are three reasons why colocation hosting is more expensive than conventional web hosting.

Futuristic Data Centers

A “colocation facility” is actually a data center, which is a large building that houses hundreds (or even thousands) of web servers in futuristic environmentally controlled rooms. Overall, a datacenter contains millions of dollars of equipment, and many of them maintain multiple high-speed Internet connections with various Internet service providers simultaneously. By providing multiple connections, colocation hosting providers can offer redundancy, so that your web server will be online at all times. Data centers are also equipped with highly effective fire extinguishing systems, professionally trained in-house Internet technology specialists, and air filtration systems that cost as much as $10,000 in each room. In order to provide this server care and service stability to customers, colocation hosting providers must charge a more expensive monthly fee.

State-Of-The-Art Surveillance

The second reason why colocation hosting is generally more expensive than conventional web hosting is the amount of effort and the monetary investments that the hosting provider devotes to keeping your web server secure. Not only are the facilities monitored by state-of-the-art surveillance technology, but all of the equipment (including your web server) is insured, so there is no risk of having the hardware damaged or stolen without it being restored or replaced. Colocation datacenter facilities are usually guarded by several tall watch posts, and barbed wire fencing exceeding the height of 8 feet around the entire perimeter the facility. Since the colocation hosting provider has a lot of expenses in terms of employee payroll and equipment overhead, these additional expenses have to be passed on to the customer to make the business profitable.

The Additional Value of Optimizing Web Server Performance

By dealing with a colocation facility you are gaining access to multiple high-speed Internet connections from various Internet service providers. Thus, you have the advantage of maintaining an optimal connection to the Internet for your web server at all times, regardless of the local or regional circumstances affecting the Internet and other hosting providers. This type of assurance is not possible if you choose to store your privately owned Web server within your home or office, because if the single Internet connection is lost, so are all of your current server tasks (such as keeping your websites online).

Colocation facilities are buildings that house the networking equipment of a business that can choose to have the facility manage the servers or they can monitor it themselves. Unfortunately if the facilities are inadequate, the result is damaged equipment and downtime which leads to lost business. The best features of a colocation facility are redundancy and capacity.

An Overview of Redundancy

Redundancy is the ability of a system to distribute the load from a failed system across the remaining pieces of equipment without any performance issues or overload. One major issue with colocation facilities is there is no industry standard, regulations or rankings. As a result, it is often difficult to detect the quality of the redundancy systems.

Redundancy Calculation

Redundancy can be calculated with the formula n+1 which indicates that a system is meeting its optimal capacity plus one unit. For instance, if two UPSs are in the overall power system, each should be running at 50 percent to balance the load. If one fails, the other system can maintain the load. If there are three UPSs then each manages 33 percent of the load and if one fails, they each handle half of the third.

In an ideal situation at a colocation facility, systems will be paralyzing redundant with many units running at the n+1 setting with each unit being able to manage the remaining load if all other systems fail.

Powering Redundant Servers

The most important aspect of redundant servers is power. Without it, the equipment will not work thus creating downtime. Power outages can stop the cooling systems (potentially resulting in equipment damage), fire suppressant systems and Internet connections which can be disastrous for the customer.

How to Maintain Redundancy

To maintain redundancy at the server level it is important to keep the colocation facility powered with generators in case of an outage, ensure the generators can handle a large power load and inspect circuit breakers and switches regularly. Switches tend to be the most common point of failure.

The basic premise is that colocation facilities should have backups of everything; backup and redundant servers, backup generators, backup of the backup generators, backup cooling and backup Internet connections. Although it may seem excessive, the clients that rely on these facilities to operate their business expect the best and close to 100 percent uptime. Maintain redundancy at a colocation facility takes a great deal of work to be secure.

Colocation web hosting is often overlooked during discussions pertaining to web hosting comparison. However, it is a valid hosting type and in comparison to other hosting plans it is significantly more expensive. Many people wonder why a web hosting service that does not even provide a web server cost so much. If you are contemplating purchasing a colocation web hosting plan then you may want to consider the following information, which accurately assesses the true value of a colocation hosting plan.

State-of-the-Art Datacenters

Colocation hosting plans differ form every other type of hosting, because rather than leasing web servers it provides storage space for private web servers. If you currently own a web server and you are storing it in your house then you should strongly consider the benefits of a colocation hosting plan. Even though the monthly cost may seem unnecessary, it may cost much more to replace a web server after dust destroys it or it is stolen. With a colocation datacenter you can be sure that your web server is completely safe and well taken care of. In order to provide this kind of safe environment for your web server a lot of precautions are taken by colocation hosting companies, and only optimal conditions are tolerated. The cost of maintaining such a facility is not cheap, so this cost is passed on to the customer.

Superb Surveillance and Security

Another reason why colocation hosting is so expensive is the incredible security offered. Every web server is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (even holidays), not only by cameras and other surveillance devices, but by actual security professionals that are technically trained to deal with web servers in the event of an emergency. The datacenter is guarded by tall fencing and stations that are patrolled by human guards at all times of the day and night. In order to pay these employees and keep the datacenter safe the colocation company has to spend a lot of money on payroll and security equipment, and this expense is passed on to the customer as well.

Extended Server Life

All of the above features of colocation hosting not only increase the cost, thy also increase the length of time in which your server can operate ideally. Eventually every electronic device will wear down and need to be replaced. However, colocation datacenters preserver your server by keeping it in perfect conditions permanently. Theoretically, if a web server is left in this condition it can continue to function properly indefinitely. Even though the cost of colocation hosting may be significantly more than other plans, it is important to note that you will be saving money in the long run because you will never have to replace your web server. With colocation web hosting the only time you need to purchase another web sever is when you current server runs out of space, which is very unlikely unless you are using it to operate dozens of massive web sites.

Colocation web hosting is very different from every other hosting service, primarily because it is not a service in which web servers are leased. Instead, colocation hosting is a web server storage service in which adequate server storage space is provided in a state-of-the-art data center that is equipped with highly trained staff and maximum security 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

In essence, you are simply paying for storage space so that you can store your dedicated server without problems such as hardware damage and theft occurring. While this may seem as if it is a great service that everyone should use, only a small percentage of webmasters will ever need colocation hosting. If you are not sure whether or not your business needs access to a colocation hosting service then you may want to consider the following information.

Do You Own a Web Server?

If you do not own a web server then you should know that you will need to purchase one before a colocation hosting service will be of any use to you. Web servers can cost anywhere from $1500-$10,000, depending upon the model and its capabilities. If you can afford to invest that much money in to a web server, and you are ready to pay for the monthly cost of colocation hosting, then it may be within your budget ton purchase a colocation hosting plan. However, if you are like the majority of webmasters, then you will not be able to afford or justify such a purchase.

What Kind of Sites Do You Own?

If you own a single medium sized web site then you may not have a need for a dedicated server at all. Dedicated web servers are ideal for people that have dozens of web sites or a single corporate web site that needs to be maintained professionally and kept at peak performance. With the availability of cheap and powerful web hosting you should be able to find a plan that will accommodate your needs with ease. Dedicated servers and colocation hosting is only recommended for corporations and enterprises, or people that own hundreds of sites.

How Technically Skilled Are You?

As mentioned, a colocation hosting service is simply a web server storage service, which means that most colocation hosting plans do not come with technical support. As such, you will need to provide your own technical support for server maintenance and administration. Most administrative duties can be done remotely, however this requires an advanced level of knowledge in the way web servers work. If you do not have a decent amount of experience in dealing with web servers then you may want to consider a colocation hosting solution that includes technical support.

Unfortunately, in order to have full technical support included with your colocation hosting plan you will need to pay an extra fee each month. When you add this fee to the mountain of other expenses associated with colocation hosting, it becomes clear that this type of hosting solution should only be utilize by highly successful online businesses.

Telehouse America has recently announced their expansion of data centers into China. Their Shanghai center will be their 39^th globally. The opening of this data center represents a continuous global expansion covering 10 countries throughout 21 regions. Telehouse is a segment of the KDDI Corporation, a leader in international telecommunications services and colocation facilities.

The Location of the Data Center

The Shanghai center will be located in the Pudong District which is the central commercial and financial hub of the whole country. This was a collaboration with Shanghai Data Solutions Co. Ltd. The location is a perfect access point for many major corporations located in the area.

The Data Center

This data center greatly surpasses industry standards to meet the needs of global business or all sizes. It’s equipped with the best power system’s with multiple layers of redundancy from different sources including power supplies, substations, uninterrupted power supplies and backup generators. This equipment is geared to guarantee the most impressive uptime ratings.

In addition to top notch power features, the data center will incorporate fire sensing equipment, multiple security levels including 24/7 security guards, video surveillance, metal detectors and facility access cards through numerous security gates. Also, the center will have multiple telecommunication providers. These include China Telecom and China Unicom. This allows for the most robust and accessible network.

The Shanghai Data Center is the best-in-class for providing preventative equipment for the most secure and effective connectivity options available. This will allow both domestic and global customers to feel at ease. Telehouse will reinforce their Total Solution package by providing the best customer satisfaction in addition to setting the standard of operational excellence regardless of location.

Given that most of the customers of the Shanghai Data Center are international, they must offer the best features of every area. Telehouse’s commitment to excellence has not gone unnoticed as many major corporations have chosen to call the Shanghai Data Center their home.

As informational technology business needs continue to change and develop, data centers are popping up across the globe offering the best equipment available. Each location continues to top the others become the best-in-class. With so much vital information available on the internet, these precautionary measures are a must.

Telehouse is greatly expanding across the globe and proving that geographic location has no effect on connectivity and telecommunication issues. The world is truly becoming boundary less.