When we talk about data centres, most people envisage sprawling sites in central London, or at least somewhere in the capital. But it’s highly likely that there are actually a variety of colocation facilities nearer to you than you think.
Itility for example, owns and runs a privately own data centre in the heart of Manchester. Here are the 5 reasons it’s always worth considering colocation that’s closer to home.
1. It’s accessible
Of course, a major draw of colocation is entrusting your mission critical equipment to professionals who can look after it on your behalf, but there will always be times when you will want or need to visit the premises yourself. Whether you require frequent access to your servers, or you wish to be nearby for ease of transporting equipment, being local to your data centre is the practical way of ensuring you can drop by as and when you wish to.
2. London poses increased risks
Although London is a great hub of enterprise and culture, with that vibrant city life comes an unfortunate increased risk of terror attacks and emergency situations. Opting to house your IT systems in a region elsewhere in the country can never be guaranteed as risk-free, but reduces the likelihood of being involved in any unexpected events that may threaten the capital.
3. Disaster recovery requirements
If you’re already situated in London, separating or replicating your IT infrastructure to a location that’s outside of the capital makes sense for your disaster recovery plan. In fact, your insurance company may even require you to be backing up your systems at a minimum distance from your premises. Ok, so we know that in this example using an alternative elsewhere in the country when you’re based in London doesn’t make that data centre local, but choosing a facility that’s not in London when your company is still makes good business sense.
4. An extension of your IT department
When your data centre is local, you’re likely to get to know the team that is running it and the engineers who look after your data, building even better working relationships. Knowing that your hardware isn’t miles away can help you to feel that your data centre is an extension of your own IT department; the professionals you interact with will have local knowledge, and will understand the particular needs of businesses in your area.
5. Supporting local businesses
Giving your trade to a local data centre ensures that you’re supporting the economy of your home region and encouraging business growth where you live. Having state of the art facilities within your wider community is an asset that can draw new industry and commerce to the area.
Manchester based Itility is powering local businesses.
If we’ve convinced you that local data centres are the way to go, Itility is a comprehensive colocation facility favoured by Manchester’s business community. Of course, you don’t need to be based in the North to use our services; for further details, visit our colocation page, or simply get in touch to find out how our site can provide a viable alternative to a London data centre, wherever you’re from.
