Most businesses these days have to rely on data center service providers for their data keeping needs. This is the best option in terms of cost, reliability, and security. Data center providers have their own equipment and provide continuous support. You do have to pay for these things, but if you compare the cost of their services to the cost of setting up your own data center, you’ll find that the former is more cost effective.
Of course, in order to make the most of data center services, you have to make sure that you choose the perfect one that will suit your needs and preferences. Here are some tips that can help you do just that.
What is the reputation of the data center service provider?
There are a LOT of providers out there. Before you settle for the first affordable offer, you ought to make sure that the data center service provider is certified. This will give you a degree of assurance that the services you will be getting are up to par with accepted standards.
What are the set up charges, and what are the recurring charges?
More so, determine what things are covered by these charges? The last thing that you want is to sign a contract and find out that you are not getting all that you expect to get. From the get go, make sure you understand what you are paying for – and how much.
Go over the Service Level Agreement thoroughly.
What’s the up time percentage? What’s the level of security?
Where is the data center located?
What you want is for the data center to be located in a place that has ultra stable power supply. Check the stability of the power grid in the area – the data center provider should be able to give you this information.
These are only a few questions which you can ask when looking for a good data center service provider. Do not hesitate to ask more and raise your specific concerns before making a decision.
Originally posted on September 9, 2010 @ 1:18 pm