Every business, small or large, needs business continuity and data security. Large organizations can easily afford multiple cabinets in tier 3 data centers for their IT needs. However, SMBs often can’t. Here is how small businesses can leverage 1u colocation for their IT needs.
What is 1U colocation?
1U server colocation (sometimes called shared colocation or per u colocation) is the service of renting rack space, power and internet access at the “per server” scale. This allows companies to only rent space and power for a few servers without having to commit to a full cabinet.
This type of service also allows clients to scale on a per-server basis. Let’s say that your company deploys 1 server per client. Only add capacity when a new client signs-up.
The typical 1U server colo client has an invoice of only C$60-300/mo, making it extremely affordable for companies of all sizes.
How can 1U server colocation serve your company?
Replacing your server closet
We all know it, server closets are the IT team’s nightmare. Power, cooling, security, maintenance. It’s just a technical and financial mess to operate a server room in your office (on-prem).
We see so many companies with only a few servers in their on-premise cabinet. Keep your basic networking gear (router, switches) in the office and move all the servers in a shared colocation cabinet. This way, even in the event of a power failure at your office, your servers will keep working and your employees may keep working remotely.
The cost of renting server space within a data center will be much less than all the costs associated with power and cooling equipment acquisition and operation.
Backing-up your current servers
Already have dedicated servers or Cloud instances? Can’t move your servers from your office due to regulations or technical challenges?
That’s fine, but you still need a backup of some kind. Your office isn’t protected against disasters (fire, flooding, etc.) and Cloud IT services aren’t 100% safe either. No matter your IT solution you must backup your data in some way or another.
A single 1U server does a nightly backup of your data, could save your job the day something goes wrong. Having a backup solution is almost like an insurance for your data that you have full control over and that will probably cost less than a Cloud backup.
Great connectivity
Your servers are used by users and employees all over the internet? Hosting your server in a data center will give you access to much better connectivity.
Colocation data centers in Montreal have access to tons of ISPs and fiber routes at much cheaper rates than the internet at your office. A typical 1 Gb/s FTTO (fiber to the office) will probably cost anywhere between C$700 and C$2000/mo. The same service in a data center can go as low as C$250/mo.
Not only you will be paying much less, but data centers are also equipped with multiple fiber routes, ensuring that your IT never goes down even if there is a fiber cut.
Want to move your servers in a tier 3 colocation data center? We’ll find you the best pricing in Montreal.