Here are 10 questions you should ask a potential business colocation center before deciding to use their services. If you are looking for the best business colocation hosting option in Atlanta, contact Digital Service Consultants today.

 

 

1. Where is Your Data Center Located?

 

Atlanta is a safe city with few natural disasters

 

Location is very important for a data center for many reasons. Try to choose a colocation facility that is:

• Convenient to access: Find out how easy it is to get to the data center. Is the traffic around the area heavy and is there sufficient or even free parking for your convenience?
• Close to your business: You should try to find a data center that is close enough to your company so that it is convenient for you to travel there to do maintenance, install servers, and upgrade hardware and software. This will also save you time and additional travel costs.
• Far enough away from your business: This may seem contradictory as we just said that you should choose a location close to your company, however, you also don’t want your colocation center to be so near your business that it could be affected by the same natural disaster such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane.
• In a relatively safe area: Choosing a colocation hosting center that is in an area with a low risk of natural disasters or terrorist attacks is also a good idea to ensure the safety of your data.

2. Do You Allow Potential Clients to Tour Your Facility?

 

It’s helpful to tour the colocation facility before deciding

 

Seeing the actual facility and being able to speak face to face with the people running the business colocation hosting center will allow you to see first hand what the premises are like and get to know the staff. This will put your mind to ease that you are actually choosing the right partner and that they know what they are talking about.

 

3. What Types of Security Features Do You Have?

You should find out information both about the physical security features of the facility as well as the network security features.

Network Security:

Does the colocation hosting provider have dedicated networks? A dedicated network means that your data will be separate from all other clients’ data in the facility. Ask about what levels of encryption they are using as well.

Physical Security:

Is the building secured by an exterior fence with restricted access? What types of identification are required in order for you to enter? Are there security cameras installed?

 

4. Does Your Business Colocation Center Meet Compliance Requirements and Can You Show Me Proof?

 

Ask to see proof of certifications

 

It is important to actually see documented proof that the colocation facility is formally certified by independent auditors. The certification should also include an on-site visit. If you are in a regulated industry which deals with sensitive information such as healthcare or legal and financial services, it is especially important that you look at the auditor’s report which deals with the management and secure storage of electronic data. These certifications could include:

• SOC 2 – This is an “auditing procedure that ensures your service providers securely manage your data to protect the interests of your organization and the privacy of its clients” developed by the American Institute of CPA’s.
• ISAE 3402 – ISAE 3402 is an “international assurance standard that allows public accountants to issue a report for use by user organizations and their auditors on the controls at a service organization that are likely to impact or be a part of the user organization’s system of internal control over financial reporting.”
• HIPAA – HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which “mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes and the protection and confidential handling of protected health information.”
• SSAE-18 Type II – SSAE-18 Type II is a series of enhancements aimed to increase the usefulness and quality of SOC reports. It deals with the control over internal financial reporting.
• PCI DSS – This is a global forum for the “development, enhancement, storage, dissemination and implementation of security standards for account data protection.”

5. What Type of Technical Support Is Offered?

 

Is there on-site technical support?

 

Find out if the business colocation center offers technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Do they have staff on-site that can answer your questions or do simple maintenance for you such as flipping a switch if necessary?

6. Is Your Colocation Facility Scalable?

As your business grows, you need to know that your business colocation center is equipped to handle that growth quickly and easily. Find out how easy it would be to access more racks, larger cages, or even a full, private suite if necessary. Find out key information like how many servers their cabinets can accommodate and how much extra available floor space they have.

7. Is There a Backup Power Source?

 

 

Make sure they have a backup power plan

 

You don’t want a power outage to interrupt your business. A data center should have a backup power plan that kicks in when the power goes out. This backup power should include a generator. Find out if there is a constant supply of fuel for this generator if the outage should last for an extended period of time.

 

8. Are You a High-Density Data Center?

If the colocation facility is a high-density data center then they can deliver more power to each square foot of floor space, meaning that they require less space. This means that it will cost them less to rent or purchase their facility and the savings usually can be passed on to their customers. Also, running one high powered server requires less cooling than running a group of low-density servers on many racks. This is an additional cost saving.

9. What is Your Uptime Guarantee?

 

You want to have 99.9% uptime

 

Your business needs to have its data available non-stop – this is especially true for companies that rely on continuous data availability in order to be successful. Look for a colocation center with low network latency with 99.9% uptime.

10. Why Is DSC the Best Business Colocation Option in Atlanta?

Digital Services Consultants is a premier data center located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia in Buford, that offers you the best server colocation possible. Along with our top-notch server colocation, we provide a full range of internet- related and cloud services including cloud backup, system monitoring, cloud storage for businesses, software hosting, dedicated email, website development and implementation, web hosting, e-commerce, security, and a variety of related products and services. We also provide network support for Linus, Microsoft server and workstation platforms, Fortinet firewalls, and Cisco Systems. DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 30 years. Contact us today for all of your internet-related requirements.

 

 

 

“Ashia R. Was extremely helpful and patient while working on everything. Always very knowledgeable and precise! This company is literally the best option out there! Top Notch customer service and actual service! Thanks for everything!” 
– Tommy & Amanda Rivera
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DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 30 years

 

DSC Gives Back to the Georgia Community

DSC is proud to be part of a thriving Georgia community and we care enough about our community to want to give something back. That is why we started the “Next Generation” training days. During the training, our students learned about the history of CPUs and GPUs. The training focused on the performance and success of different models and brands and which ones excelled during their various time periods. You can access an audio recording of the training on the DSC website for free. Click here to listen to this informative podcast.