What Are Third-Party Data Center Operators in Colocation?

Third-party data center operators often provide colocation services to meet a company’s infrastructure needs.

Let’s explore the key features and advantages of working with third-party data center providers.

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What are third-party operators?

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What Is Colocation?

Colocation, or “colo” for short, is a service that allows businesses to rent physical space and infrastructure in a data center to house their servers, storage, and networking equipment. Instead of building and maintaining their own on-premises data centers, organizations can leverage the colocation space and facilities offered by third-party providers.

What Are Third-Party Data Center Operators?

Third-party data center operators are specialized colocation providers that offer businesses a comprehensive suite of services to meet their infrastructure needs. Rather than managing an on-premises data center, you can leverage the expertise and resources of these colocation providers.

Benefits and Features of Colocation

Colocation data centers provide a secure and reliable environment for businesses to store and operate their computing hardware. These facilities have redundant power systems, backup generators, and cooling infrastructure to ensure optimal performance and uptime. Colocation providers also implement robust physical security measures, such as access control and surveillance, to protect against unauthorized access and potential threats.

With colocation services, you can benefit from the economies of scale and expertise of third-party data center operators. This approach allows you to focus on your core operations while the colocation provider handles the day-to-day management and maintenance of the physical infrastructure. Colocation can result in significant cost savings when you evaluate it against building and operating a private data center.

Colocation facilities offer flexibility and scalability which allows you to easily expand or contract the colocation space as your needs change. With many colocation providers and locations available, you can strategically choose colocation centers that best meet your organization’s performance, connectivity, and regulatory requirements.

What Services do Third-Party Data Centers Offer?

Depending on the provider, third-party data centers offer a range of services besides colocation. These can include the following:

Network connectivity. Colocation providers offer high-speed, redundant connections to multiple internet service providers and cloud platforms, ensuring reliable and low-latency connectivity for your applications and data.
Advanced security services. These include 24/7 monitoring, access control systems, biometric scanners, and video surveillance to prevent unauthorized access and protect your valuable assets.
Managed services. Many colocation providers also offer managed services, such as hardware installation, configuration, and maintenance. This allows businesses to outsource the day-to-day management of their IT infrastructure to experienced professionals, freeing up internal resources to focus on core business objectives.
Disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Third-party data centers have robust backup power systems, redundant cooling, and fire suppression mechanisms to minimize the risk of downtime due to power outages, equipment failures, or other disruptions. They also offer backup and replication services to ensure data integrity and quick recovery in the event of a natural disaster.
Cloud integration services. Some colocation providers even offer cloud integration services which allows businesses to seamlessly connect their colocated infrastructure with public cloud platforms. This hybrid approach enables organizations to take advantage of the benefits of both colocation and cloud computing.

The Best Third-Party Operators

Let’s examine what the five leading colocation service providers offer.

CoreSite

CoreSite, an American Tower company, is a leading third-party data center operator in the United States. Founded in 2001, CoreSite operates 28 locations across key communication hubs, with partners managing international locations.

Notable features and specs of CoreSite are:

CoreSite operates locations in 11 key U.S. markets.
The company’s service-level agreement (SLA) offers a 100% uptime guarantee.
CoreSite offers hybrid cloud options with interconnects to the Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, IBM, and Alibaba clouds.
CoreSite provides move-in assistance with dedicated project management resources.
The company operates the CoreSite Open Cloud Exchange cloud platform.

Cyxtera Technology, Inc.

Cyxtera Technologies manages more than 60 data centers across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Launched in May 2017 with the acquisition of CenturyLink’s data center and colocation assets, Cyxtera operates an impressive 2.9 million square feet of data center floor space with a 250-megawatt capacity.

Notable features and specs of Cyxtera Technology, Inc. are:

Cyxtera operates locations in key global markets, servicing over 30 markets worldwide.
The company’s SLA offers a 99.999% availability and a 100% power uptime guarantee, ensuring high reliability and performance for its customers.
Cyxtera manages all wiring from the customer’s cage to the network room, providing a hassle-free experience for clients.
The company strictly adheres to industry standards for cabling and data center design, including the TIA-942 standard, which sets guidelines for data center infrastructure.

Digital Realty

Digital Realty operates in more than 300 data centers across over 25 countries and six continents. The company boasts an impressive combined total of more than 34.5 million square feet of rentable space, with several million additional square feet currently under development as of 2023.

Founded in 2004 with an American IPO, Digital Realty quickly expanded its presence to Europe in 2005 and Asia in 2010, solidifying its position as a global leader in the data center industry.

Notable features and specs of Digital Realty are:

Digital Realty’s U.S. colocation facilities are 100% wind-powered. This demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
The company offers seamless interconnectivity to partners, customers, and service providers, enabling efficient and reliable data exchange.
Digital Realty provides four different data center tiers, each with increasing levels of uptime. Tier 1 data centers have an uptime of 99.6%, while tiers 2, 3, and 4 offer uptimes of 99.7%, 99.8%, and 99.99%, respectively.
To ensure the security of customer data, Digital Realty employs a rigorous five-step validation process.

Equinix Inc.

Equinix is a global leader in third-party data center solutions. It operates in more than 250 data centers across 71 major metropolitan areas worldwide. The company expanded its services to Africa, further strengthening its global presence. Equinix offers 28.1 million square feet of data center space.

Founded in 1998 in Redwood City, California, Equinix specializes in internet and data centers, with a strong focus on risk mitigation for its customers.

Notable features and specs are:

Equinix data centers guarantee an exceptional 99.9999% availability to ensure minimal downtime for businesses relying on their services.
The company offers business continuity trading rooms—financial trading companies, providing secure and reliable environments for critical trading operations.
Equinix has made significant strides in sustainability and achieved 100% renewable energy in some regions, with 223 sites now covered by 100% renewable energy sources.
To maintain the highest levels of security, physical access to Equinix data centers typically involves passing through five stringent security checkpoints.

NTT Global Ltd

NTT, formerly known as Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., operates more than 200 data centers across 20 countries and four continents, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Founded in 1952 in Tokyo, Japan, NTT has evolved into a leading provider of data center solutions, now operating as NTT Ltd.

Notable features and specs include the following:

NTT’s America Enterprise Cloud Flex Service Level Agreement guarantees an impressive 100% network uptime.
The company is one of the largest global Tier 1 IP backbone providers in Asia.
NTT boasts the world’s largest portfolio of Tier 3 data centers, which provide a high level of redundancy and uptime.
To ensure the highest standards of quality and security, NTT complies with more than 300 global data center standards.
The company offers a convenient 24/7 remote hands service for troubleshooting and maintenance, providing round-the-clock support to its customers.

How to Choose the Right Operator

Here are some important points to keep in mind when choosing a third-party data center operator:

Location. Consider the geographical location of the data centers and their proximity to your target audience, as well as the provider’s ability to meet your specific regulatory and compliance requirements.
Reliability and uptime. Evaluate the provider’s SLAs and uptime guarantees to ensure they align with your business needs and can minimize the risk of costly downtime.
Connectivity options. Assess the provider’s network connectivity options, including carrier diversity, bandwidth capacity, and the ability to establish direct interconnects with public cloud platforms and other service providers.
Security measures. Examine the provider’s physical and logical security measures, such as access controls, surveillance systems, and data encryption, to ensure the protection of your valuable assets and data.
Scalability and flexibility. Consider the provider’s ability to accommodate your future growth and changing requirements, including the availability of additional space, power, and cooling capacity.
Support and expertise. Evaluate the provider’s level of technical support, including the availability of remote hands services, on-site assistance, and the expertise of their staff in managing and maintaining data center infrastructure.
Sustainability and energy efficiency. Assess the provider’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency, including the use of renewable energy sources, power usage effectiveness, and eco-friendly practices.
Pricing and contract terms. Compare pricing structures and contract terms among providers, considering factors such as power density, bandwidth costs, and the flexibility to scale up or down as needed.

If you struggle to find the right data center operator in colocation, give us a call. We will help you identify the best solution to meet your specific requirements.

Colocation Data Centers vs. Cloud

You have two main options when you’re hosting your IT infrastructure: colocation and cloud computing. While both approaches offer benefits, they differ in key ways.

With colocation, you own and manage your physical servers and equipment, which are housed in a third-party data center. This gives you more control over your hardware and configurations but also means you’re responsible for maintaining and updating your equipment.

Cloud computing involves renting virtual resources from a cloud provider. You don’t own or manage any physical infrastructure; instead, you pay for the computing resources you need on a pay-as-you-go basis. This can be more scalable and flexible than colocation but may offer less control and customization.

So, which is right for your business? It depends on your specific needs and priorities. Colocation may be a better fit if you require high levels of control, have complex configurations, or need to meet strict compliance requirements. Cloud computing may be preferable if you prioritize scalability, flexibility, and lower upfront costs.

About Symplicity

At Symplicity, we understand the critical role that data plays in your business success. That’s why we’ve partnered with leading third-party data center operators to offer you the most reliable and secure colocation solutions available.

Our primary focus areas ensure your data is always protected and accessible:

Robust data security. We work with colocation providers that employ state-of-the-art physical and digital security measures. From biometric access controls to 24/7 monitoring, your sensitive data is safeguarded against unauthorized access and potential threats.
Optimal data performance. Our colocation partners provide advanced infrastructure and networking technologies that ensure your data is always available and performs at its best. With high-speed, low-latency connections and redundant systems, you can count on uninterrupted access to your critical data and applications.
Flexible data scalability. As your data needs grow, our colocation solutions can easily scale to accommodate them. With ample room for expansion and a range of storage options, you’ll never have to worry about running out of space or compromising your data’s integrity.

Partner with Symplicity and our trusted third-party data center operators to unlock the full potential of your data.

Colocation FAQ

What are the four types of data centers?

The four main types of data centers are:

Enterprise data centers are fully company-owned data centers used to process internal data and host mission-critical applications.
Colocation data centers are facilities where companies can rent equipment, space, and bandwidth from the data center owner.
Edge data centers are smaller data centers located closer to end-users to minimize latency.
Hyperscale data centers are large-scale data centers designed to serve massive operations with high storage and processing demands.

Is Google Cloud a third-party data center?

Google Cloud is considered a third-party or public cloud data center service. Companies can outsource their computing and storage needs to Google Cloud rather than maintaining their own on-premises data center.

What is the difference between colocation and outsourcing?

Colocation is when a company rents space, equipment, and bandwidth in a data center owned by a third-party provider. Outsourcing is when a company hires a third-party service provider to manage all or part of its IT infrastructure, which could include using a colocation center facility.

Which are the major cloud service providers?

The major cloud service providers are:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud
IBM Cloud
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

What is colocation strategy?

A colocation strategy involves renting space, equipment, and network connectivity in a data center owned and operated by a third-party provider, rather than building and maintaining an on-premises data center. This allows companies to outsource the physical infrastructure and management of their IT resources.

What is the difference between colocation and hyperscale data centers?

Colocation data centers allow companies to rent space, equipment, and bandwidth while maintaining control over their IT infrastructure. Hyperscale data centers are massive, company-owned facilities designed to serve large-scale, high-demand operations that require huge storage and processing capabilities.

What are the advantages of third-party data centers over on-premise data centers?

Third-party data center providers offer several benefits over on-premise data centers. These include:

Reliability. Third-party data centers are equipped with redundant power systems, such as uninterruptible power supplies, to ensure continuous operation even during power outages.
Scalability. With a third-party data center, you can easily scale your infrastructure as your business grows, without worrying about the capacity limitations of your own premises.
Cost-efficiency. By leveraging the resources and expertise of a third-party data center provider, you can save on the costs associated with building, maintaining, and upgrading your data center.
Security. Third-party data centers implement stringent physical and logical security measures to protect your valuable assets and data from unauthorized access and potential threats.
Connectivity. Colocation facilities offer high-speed, low-latency connectivity to a wide range of network providers and cloud environments, enabling you to efficiently connect with your customers and partners.

How can third-party data center operators support your disaster recovery plan?

Third-party data center operators play a crucial role in supporting your disaster recovery plan by providing:

Geographic diversity. With your infrastructure hosted in multiple data center locations, you can ensure that your data and applications remain accessible even if one site experiences a disaster.
Redundant infrastructure. Third-party data centers minimize the risk of downtime due to equipment failures or other disruptions.
Data backup and replication. Many data center providers offer managed backup and replication services to ensure that your data is regularly backed up and can be quickly restored in the event of a disaster.
Failover and recovery. With a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place, your data center provider can help you quickly failover to a secondary site and recover your critical systems and data, minimizing the impact of a disaster on your business operations.
Expertise and support. Third-party data center operators have the knowledge and experience to help you design, implement, and test your disaster recovery plan, ensuring that it meets your specific business requirements and regulatory obligations.