How outsourcing data centre operations can boost your business

What are data centres?

A data centre is essentially a computer room – a physical facility that allows you to store and manage your servers, networks and other computer equipment in a controlled environment, it is also be known as being part of the ‘Cloud’.  We guarantee regulated power (full back up), a high bandwidth Internet connection, physical and network security, besides 24×7 monitoring and full technical support.

Why outsource your data centre

Even if IT is your core business, setting up your own data centre or computer room is an expensive proposition both in terms of money, time and deployment of human resources.  Apart from the high capital costs, there are the high day-to-day management costs.  Routinely adding new services or upgrading to the latest technology is also not feasible.  In this scenario, it makes sense to outsource this service to a hosting, carrier-neutral data centre.

Hosting

Hosting means that you rent specific space to either house your servers along with the servers of other businesses, or rent a server in a common physical location.  Each business’s equipment is physically secured inside a lockable rack/cabinet.  Hosting offers you the flexibility to upscale (or even downscale) your technology and requirements as your business grows (or slows down), without having to make repeated capital investments.  In addition, it can reduce not only the Capital Expenditure (Capex) required to deliver business services/applications, but it can also reduce your Operational Expenditure (Opex), by paying on fix cost on a monthly basis for services.

Benefits of Hosting

Benefits of hosting include:

• Cost savings in the range of 20%-70% per annum
• Better utilisation of space you are using for an in-house data centre
• Freedom to focus on your core competencies and not worry about your IT infrastructure

These are the additional specific advantages you can expect with hosting.

• Physical Advantages: The costs of the following facilities in a computer room are a fraction of what it would cost to set them up in-house.  We give you:

1. Precision-controlled, air-conditioned environment
2. 24×7 power back up systems for all your equipment – no downtime or disruption because of power failure
3. State of the art Early Smoke Detection System – no critical losses due to fire
4. High-level onsite security through surveillance cameras and security systems to disallow unauthorised entry
5. Option of adding new systems when required and phasing out older systems as they become outdated, at nominal costs

• Connectivity Advantages: Having your own leased line to connect your networks across long distances can be expensive to acquire and maintain and not as reliable as the fibre optic connections at a data centre.  Hosting gives you increased connectivity and greater redundancy without the prohibitive cost:
• Increased bandwidth with reduced bandwidth costs: We assure you of excess capacity so that your high-speed lines don’t slow down even during peak load time.
• Greater network redundancy means maximum up time: Your business critical applications will always be up and accessible.  This is because we support multiple ISPs whose fibre optic lines terminate at our data centre.
• Keep your freedom: Because we are a carrier-neutral data centre supporting multiple ISPs, you get to choose your own carrier or you can utilise the Datanet network.  We also provide seamless transfer, if needed, to alternate carriers.  That’s reason to cheer because you won’t be left dependent on an ISP that does not live up to its promise or one that shuts shop at short notice.
• Competitive pricing: A carrier-neutral approach also implies vendor competition which means that you get competitive pricing and services.
• BGP4 Routing: Our carrier-neutral data centre uses BGP4 on our routers to ensure that your data is sent along the most reliable path and is delivered as fast as possible.  If one provider’s connection fails, BGP4 allows instant failover and re-routes your critical data over a different path with an alternate provider.  Downtime is again minimized.
• Network security: As an option we can provide you the latest firewalls/IDS systems which detect and arrest unauthorised advances.  Firewalls and security systems need to be updated at whirlwind speed and a hosting provider can provide updated security at the right time and right cost.
• Disaster recovery sites: We also create disaster recovery sites.  In the event of downtime with your primary server, the entire network switches to an alternate site.  Outsourced disaster recovery costs a fraction of what it would to set it up in house.
• Technical Support Advantages: With an outsourced data centre like ours, you avoid problems of deploying human resources and can expect the highest levels of dedicated service.
• No need to employ specialists: We deploy qualified technical personnel – with certifications like VCP, CCNA and MCSE – who monitor your networks and server 24×7 and prevent an impending problem from blowing up into a crippling crisis.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA): A strict SLA ensures that you get a guaranteed level of services – better than what you would have in-house.
• Experience advantage: You get the advantage of our years of experience in managing data centres and qualified technical personnel working to keep your business critical systems functioning smoothly around the clock.
  Help desk facility: You also get a 24×7 help desk to contact in case of any trouble.

Overall, a carrier-neutral hosted data centre makes sound, long-term business sense for your company especially if your core business is not IT.  A data centre like ours provides you with the best services without the accompanying hassles of owning and operating such a facility.

Datanet offers Co-location/Dedicated and Virtual Server (“Cloud”) services from its data centres in Fleet, Hampshire and 3 locations in London.

For more information on how you can benefit from the ‘Cloud’ please contact our Solutions Consultants on