It’s been less than a year since the last major AWS outage that affected a large portion of the internet. While you may think that it’s no problem to live without Facebook or Twitter for a few hours, consider this: what if your business depended on a social network that’s completely out? Worse yet, what if your business is completely offline because of an outage? How much could a few hours cost you?
The average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute, according to Gartner. Depending on how your business operates, this amount could be significantly lower or significantly higher for you. Outages can happen to anyone—the key is how you respond to them. For instance, can your recovery plan pass the ‘no internet’ test?
At Heartland Technology Data Center, we minimize both outage times and the impact they have on our clients’ business. This is our core business—making sure you have access to your digital assets, no matter what.
And this is why we recommend colocation when your core competency is anything other than data storage. Whether you’re a small business, a hospital, a bank, a manufacturer, or something else, your expertise likely isn’t in hosting digital information. Colocation supports the physical infrastructure that runs your business so you can concentrate on what you are good at—and leave the infrastructure to us. Let’s take a closer look at how colocation can help power your business to focus on your specialties, even when a natural or man-made disaster hits.
Fill in Gaps in Your Infrastructure
If your core competency isn’t data storage, you may be tempted to follow the trend and opt for cloud storage—after all, everyone does it, right? It seems affordable, scalable, and easy to implement, so what have you got to lose?
Well, as always, things aren’t as pretty as they are in the marketing brochure. Your typical cloud storage package will end up costing you more than advertised because of the lack of flexibility in capacity or peak hour fees. If you experience an outage or have another issue, you have to wait in a long virtual ticketing line to help. And setting up your own cloud hosting infrastructure—with all the optimal settings—is nearly impossible for a novice.
Compare that to colocation, which is also scalable and flexible. You are free to upgrade or downsize anytime. Plus, you can make small changes or huge strides any time, based on your needs. Pricing structure is simple, often done by rack space, and you know right where your data lives.
Colocation Vs. Cloud
Learn the pros and cons of each to see options for your business.
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You may not think about it often, but in the event of a disaster, how would you access your data? What happens if the power and/or internet are out? These are elements of a disaster recovery plan. When you host with a data center, even if the internet is down, you can still have access to your data.
With nearby colocation, your data is a drive away. With cloud storage, you usually have no clue where your data is really stored: it could be a drive away, but more often than not it’s half way around the globe. ANd with HTDC specifically, you can call a human and get a localized response.
When data storage is not your core competency, colocation is an important piece in your disaster recovery plan. With quick access to your data, you will always be one step ahead of your competitors that followed the trend and went the cloud storage route.
More importantly, if you choose on-premise or cloud storage, you have to figure out the recovery plan on your own, from conception to implementation. If you work with the right colocation facility, you will have a team of experts at your disposal. They will work day and night to get you back online.
Your resources are best used on your core competencies and serving your customers—it’s what you know how to do best, right? While you focus on your core business, data storage professionals can take care of your colocation needs and play a major part in reducing your downtime.
Why Choose Heartland Technology Data Center?
At HTDC, we help small, mid-sized, and large businesses in the Midwest and around the country focus on what they do best: they can leverage their core competencies to the fullest, and we take data storage off their already full plate.
With colocation at HTDC, you can turn a capital expense of owning and operating your own data center into an operating expense. Keep your physical locations next to life, culture, and good schools, and put your data center in buildings like ours—with redundant power, cooling, and the ability to withstand natural disasters.
We know that there is no silver bullet when it comes to data storage. Every company is different and has different needs. This is why our packages are 100% customizable. We are ready to support you with advice on how to create a colocation strategy that fits your company’s needs. Get in touch with us if you need an expert opinion or if you want to tour our facility!