The ever-increasing costs of managing and maintaining in-house data centers, combined with the rise of cloud technologies, are turning colocation operators into an attractive option for many organizations. Colocation (colo) operators provide organizations with data center facilities to house and operate their servers. Colos typically offer physical locations as well as power, cooling, network, and security services for their customers’ servers.
Of course, uptime is one of the biggest concerns when choosing a colocation operator. Often, colo operators will promote their facilities’ reliability through tier certifications. One of the most well-known data center classification systems is administered by the Uptime Institute, which evaluates data center reliability on a scale of Tier I to Tier IV.
To help you gain perspective about the state of the colocation industry today, we’ve compiled a list of notable colocation operators based on their size and tier certifications. Each colocation operator has at least 10 data centers and at least one tier certification.
The infographic provides more than just at-a-glance summaries of notable colocation operators and the regions where they operate. It lists the Uptime Institute Tier Certifications achieved by at least one colo-operated data center and highlights specific points of interest around power, cooling, network connectivity, and environmental sustainability to help you learn more about the different colo operators and their facilities.
For example, Equinix, Inc., a colo operator with 145 data centers across five regions, has Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility and Tier III Certification of Design Document. Interestingly, the global average uptime at all Equinix data centers is 99.9999%!
Note: A tier certification isn’t the only ingredient for reliability. Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software also can improve the availability and performance of data centers, benefiting colocation operators and their customers alike. With the power monitoring and change management components of DCIM software, colocation facilities can have the flexibility and information necessary to keep pace with the demands of multiple unique customer environments. On the flip side, customers can gain peace of mind, knowing that their critical business systems are secure and available when they need them.
Looking to dive deeper into useful information on top colocation operators based on their sizes and tier certifications? Check out the infographic below.
