The majority of small and medium-sized online businesses are now into colocation, the entrusting of information centers in offsite colocation companies. Their main reasons would be the stability in electrical power and information storage, quick access for their websites, as well as lower data transfer costs.
Much like dedicated servers, colocation solutions are available in a couple of different kinds of services managed as well as unmanaged. For anyone still looking for colocation suppliers, it’s always best to understand first these distinctions and their actual specifications before selecting a colocation data center.
The choice whether to utilize a managed or unmanaged colocation service may have a substantial effect on your company. These consist of such factors as just how much upkeep is required to be carried out, exactly what items may be run on the machine, costs among others.
Listed here is a quick rundown about the differences on managed and unmanaged colocation services.
Managed Colocation
Right from the start, managed colocation is actually the best choice for companies that don’t have the time and the IT resources required to sustain their equipment. With the program, your organization will be spared from performing manual duties necessary to keep the system online.
Managed colocation is frequently referred to as dedicated server rental. The actual service provider has a dedicated server already set up to specific requirements to be used by their different colocated customers.
Services
Their services include the use of the other requisite services, including maintenance like reboots, solving hardware issues and backups. The client will simply move their equipment and run their business right away.
This arrangement is useful for people who are not technically inclined and do not have the time or the resources to handle troubleshooting and other maintenance chores.
Disadvantages
There are disadvantages in this setup, the most significant of them is the high price for the pampered treatment. There are also restrictions such as only supported applications are allowed to be run on the servers. (You may NOT use any application needed for your site if it is not supported by your provider.)
Unmanaged colocation
Choosing unmanaged colocation gives you and your company greater flexibility. This freedom of choice comes in handy when deciding the hardware, software and the other components you want to include in your server.
You can, in effect, install applications needed by your requirements but are not supported by your provider. You have more control on the configuration and use of your server, which is the opposite in managed services.
Access
Depending on your contract, your technical people can come and go to the facility as needed and perform the tasks in regard with your equipment. The disadvantage here is that your people must be available to travel to the colocation center in times of trouble which is always unpredictable.
Comparison
Finally, it should be clear that managed and unmanaged services cater to two different customer needs. If you have the IT resources (including the staff), an unmanaged service will work best.
The managed version, on the other hand, will allow you to move your hardware and leave all the technical aspects to the colocation services people. All in all, it is best that you know these differences and their consequences on your business.
