If you are reading this guide you probably already know about some of the benefits of colocation hosting. Putting hardware that your business owns in a secure, resilient and easy-to-access third-party data centre can be an affordable and convenient solution to your hosting needs.

The only barrier now will be the process you need to undergo in order to implement colocation hosting at your place of work. So, what steps do you need to complete and is the task difficult to achieve? This brief guide to implementing colocation hosting should help you get through it.

Hardware Selection
Since your business will be supplying the hardware, it is necessary to carefully choose the right server set-up that will be able to handle all of your business needs.

When selecting the type of server you want to use, one of the most important considerations will relate to its size and scalability. You will want a server that can accommodate your current requirements while including the potential for expansion further down the line.

This means you will need to look at whether or not there is space for more hard drives and expansion cards, as well as how much support is offered for RAID set-ups.

Configuration
Configuring the software that will run on your server is just as important as getting the hardware right first time.

You will need to work out which operating system and apps will be most appropriate and also make sure that you are able to control everything remotely to give you the chance to properly manage your hardware when you are off site.

Provider
Choosing the right colocation provider is contingent on a number of factors and you should always take your time when making this decision.

You will want to make sure that the location of the provider is suitable, because you want it to be remote from your place of work but not so distant that factors such as latency start to become an issue.

It is also necessary to check up on the capabilities of the data centre that is being operated by the third-party provider. Which tier does it fall into and what redundancy measures are in place to ensure that your server hardware is able to offer acceptable levels of uptime?

If a provider is unable to answer any of your questions, it might not be particularly well suited to the job of providing colocation hosting for your company.

Package
Different colocation providers will offer varied packages and levels of support to businesses, so you need to opt for whichever fits in with your budget and requirements.

The cheapest packages tend to take a very hands-off approach to hosting, with businesses responsible for the maintenance and monitoring of hardware.

You can also choose more comprehensive deals, which can provide you with the kind of support that will ensure the integrity of your hardware and take some of the burden of management away from your business.

While this may be more expensive, it could end up being more cost-effective than sourcing the same IT skills in house.

Colocation hosting is something that all businesses can benefit from if they are willing to take the plunge. So long as enough care is taken during the process of implementation, you should be able to start enjoying the advantages of this type of hosting solution without any problems.

The fundamentals of colocation hosting are simple enough, but if you have any questions you should always be able to get in touch with a provider and learn more about what this technology has to offer.

Daisy Group are a leading provider of business hosting solutions. You can find out more on their website.