Today’s digital economy is defined by high data volumes and the necessity for reliable high speed data exchange. When you are making the decision to house your equipment and data in a colocation facility, data center interconnection is one of the most important qualities to compare. It is one of the most effective ways for your business to have access to important resources that support your mission critical applications and maximize the success of daily operations.
What is Data Center Interconnection?
Data center interconnection refers to physical and virtual data connections between companies and other data centers that enable the rapid exchange of data. Data center facilities can work together by sharing resources and passing workloads between one another.
Data center interconnection provides access to multiple internet service providers (ISPs). Having access to many service providers, international customers can exhibit a strong presence both domestically and worldwide and are able to expand their customer base and enhance business operations.
Data center interconnection is one of the most important qualities to look for in a data center provider. As massive amounts of data are managed, distributed and exchanged across the globe, the nature of a successful business often relies on the stability of its IT infrastructure. However, not all data centers are created equal. The element of interconnection can add incredible value to a colocation provider, creating a tailored solution for each customer and their business’ requirements. So what is data center interconnection and why does it matter?
Access
Datacenter interconnection provides access to multiple ISPs – which are especially crucial if the customer is selling globally. By having access to many service providers, international customers are able to exhibit a strong presence both domestically and worldwide, and in turn, are able to expand their customer base and enhance business operations.
Additionally, data centers with an array of connectivity options often allow direct access to their servers – which is instrumental in the case of an outage or maintenance window for hardware and/or software.
Convenience
Datacenter interconnection providers also offer the benefit of a direct, physical contact point between servers, providers, and customers. This advantage is important because it allows you to not only navigate from point A to point B but to do so more quickly and with more flexibility than a traditional provider. These qualities are essential for the execution of everyday business operations.
Additionally, the flexibility of an interconnected data center allows providers to continually improve their services and offerings in order to meet customer expectations. By eliminating data bottlenecks, interconnected providers are able to establish a solid IT infrastructure that can be scaled indefinitely, and – perhaps most importantly – can accommodate the consumer demand for flexible, cost-efficient growth.
Interconnection
Carrier-neutrality is one of the most significant advantages of an interconnected data center provider. By offering the ability to choose from multiple carrier options, customers are able to manage one of the most critical components of the purchasing journey – choice. The opportunity to select between different colocation and interconnection providers, in order to suit different business needs is essential because not every business is the same or has the same needs. Carrier-neutral data centers aren’t restricted to one service provider, and as such are able to provide the diversity and flexibility to meet and outsource every unique business objective.
Pricing
In a traditional or non-carrier-neutral environment, businesses are only allowed to one service option. This fixed structure can reap negative consequences for the customer as they become subject to a variety of similarly defined factors including limited bandwidth, high pricing, and a lack of competition.
Interconnection provides added value to your business in its affordance of choice; however – this value does not necessarily reflect in a higher pricing structure. The risk mitigation that multiple carrier options provide will benefit business operations in the long run and will remain affordable as carriers vie for business and are therefore incentivized to offer cost-efficient, high-quality bandwidth.
Location
Facility location affects data center interconnection more than you might expect. High-performance interconnects and access to quality networks are two of the most vital considerations when selecting a colocation provider. However, without a strategic location, these benefits can be compromised. Internet exchange points overlap across the globe and different locations yield different connectivity offerings depending on their positioning in these pathways.
Businesses often have a target audience for their product or service. Those looking to integrate colocation into their customer strategy often have IT assets located in an area that enables these goals. Selecting a facility that is located in an interconnection hub will not only support your business goals, but will offer additional advantages such as fiber diversity, extensive network choice and the ability to interconnect to partners and clients across the world.
Importance of data center interconnection
Unlike in-office servers/data centers, colocation data centers provide a central meeting place for networks, internet service providers (ISPs), cloud service providers, internet exchanges, and other customers that your business can interconnect with.
One of the most important advantages of an interconnected data center provider is carrier-neutrality. By offering the ability to choose from multiple carrier options, you can manage one of the most critical components of the purchasing journey – choice. The opportunity to select between different colocation and interconnection providers to suit different business needs is essential because not every business has the same needs. Carrier-neutral data centers aren’t restricted to one service provider, and as such are able to provide diversity.
Types of interconnection
– Cross connects
Cross-connects are physical cables that connect to a network within a data center. Cross-connects enable you to establish high-performance, dedicated connectivity to other customers within the data center providing access to a dynamic ecosystem of partners, suppliers, and customer networks without long lead times.
– Metro Connect
Metro connect offers point-to-point connectivity between facilities within the same metropolitan area, giving you the ability to link multiple deployments and reach additional provider ecosystems outside the walls of your primary data center.
– Internet Exchange
Internet Exchange Points are vital elements of internet infrastructure that enable networks to exchange traffic with each other. These networks transfer by IP Transit where a network operator pays to use the network of another operator to exchange internet traffic. The process by which networks connect and exchange their traffic at an IXP is called peering. The primary focus of an exchange point is to facilitate network interconnection through an exchange access point instead of third-party networks.
Determining your colocation needs? Be sure to consider the different types of connection the facility offers and how these align with your business’s needs.
Reliable Redundancy
By offering the ability to choose from multiple carrier options, our customers are able to cultivate one of the most critical components of the purchasing journey – choice. Hivelocity interconnects a variety of telecom and technology companies, from VoIP startups to leading global Tier 1 Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) – we work hard to support the network requirements of our global customer base. Contact with us today at +1 (888) 869-4678 or contact sales to learn more about our data center services.
