Choosing
A
Colocation Provider
Despite
hype, some execs say
'commoditization' is far off
By
Rich Miller
ColocationGuide News Staff
Understand Your Hosting Needs
While it may seem obvious, the first step is to analyze
your own operation and determine your needs. Know what you need
and what you don't. If you have a defined budget, decide which
criteria are the most important ones on your list and keep those
priorities in mind as you speak with providers.
This analysis is particularly useful when assessing the
need for "managed services" such as data storage, Internet
connection security, scalability and application hosting. Many
hosting providers are aggressively marketing these services as
"add-ons" to web hosting and colocation accounts. Be
prepared to encounter these sales pitches, and know when to listen
closely and when to say "no thanks" or "maybe later."
Stay Current on Industry News
Many colocation providers have weathered the recent shakeout
in the telecommunications and "dot-com" sectors in fine
shape. Others have been hobbled and are facing cash crises, and
some have already failed or been sold.
"You want to make sure the company you decide to work
with will be in business for a while and not have financial problems
down the road that could cause you problems," said Joseph
Suppers, president of Node Com Inc.
Monitoring industry
news sites is one way to stay abreast of which providers are faring
well and which ones may be carrying large debt loads. useful sites
include the communications
section of News.com, the IPSite,
The Net Economy, Boardwatch
and CarrierHotels.com.
Is
the Provider "Carrier-Neutral?"
This can be an
important question, according to Suppers. A "carrier-specific"
site either offers a single bandwidth provider, or has a business
incentive to direct customers to a particular carrier.
"Carrier-neutral"
facilities offer customers a choice of connectivity.
"One of the things
you want to do is make sure you have several alternative carriers
available to provide your Internet connection," said Suppers.
"You want to avoid being obligated to working with one carrier."
Having choices is
important for both price and flexibility.
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