Colocation services are nothing new. In essence, they are simply a method of placing a physical server in a third-party-owned data centre and allowing it to be connected to the Internet through high-speed, reliable and secure connections. It is a virtualised version of housing – hosting – a website or application from a server physically located in another location.
The history of colocation services began in the late 1990s, when the technologies of the modern age, such as the Internet, started to be commonplace. Companies, many of them start-ups, wanted to start their own online presence without having to go through the immense costs of building their own data centre. Colocation services rose to the challenge and provided these companies with the necessary infrastructure – servers, network connections, cooling, and power – needed to run their website and applications.
At the beginning, colocation services provided companies with basic services that were both costly and inefficient. They had to rent physical premises on which to place the servers, then hire personnel to power, cool and maintain the equipment. Additionally, they had to negotiate a contract with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). These are the reasons why many organisations decided to set up their own data centre and internal IT teams.
Over time, and due to the development of new technologies such as cloud computing, the value of colocation services started to become more evident. Companies began to realise that they could move their physical hardware to a third-party data centre and benefit from a range of features that were previously off-limits. Power and cooling costs were reduced, and the need for personnel to manage the hardware were eliminated. Instead, the hardware was managed and monitored remotely, while the bandwidth connection was provided by a reputable ISP.
The revolution started to gain momentum as companies realised the potential of colocation services and started to view them as an efficient and cost-effective way to scale their IT operations. The distinct advantage of being able to host their physical hardware in an external data centre meant that they could benefit from being in close proximity to powerful networks, a robust power supply, cutting-edge cooling systems, and a physical security system. Furthermore, colocation services allowed companies to quickly scale their hardware in response to changing business needs, while only paying for the services they used.
The evolution and adoption of colocation services have been further catalyzed by the emergence of hybrid IT, which is the marriage of onsite and cloud technologies. Companies no longer just rely on one type of IT infrastructure, and instead are able to deploy both onsite and cloud-based solutions to optimize performance and reduce costs. Colocation services are perfectly positioned to fit in the hybrid IT model, providing companies with the flexibility to move their onsite hardware to an external data centre and benefit from the latest technology without having to build an entire data centre from scratch.
The rise of colocation services has revolutionised the IT industry, as it has allowed companies to take advantage of cutting-edge technology without having to invest in hefty infrastructure costs or hiring IT personnel. Companies can now benefit from reliable and secure hosting solutions with scalability and performance thanks to the features and capabilities available in external data centres. Furthermore, the emergence of hybrid IT models and the increased use of cloud computing have enabled companies to benefit from the power of both onsite and cloud services without breaking the bank.
In summary, colocation services have revolutionised the IT world by providing companies with a reliable, secure and economical method to host their servers. The emergence of hybrid IT models has further enabled companies to optimise their performance and reduce their IT costs, making colocation a viable option for businesses of all sizes and types.
