Do your research.

Picking the right data center for your business is an important decision. When you put your data in the hands of another company, you’re putting your trust in them as well.

As such, there are a few factors to consider when choosing which data center to entrust with your data.

Pricing

When buying a car, do you typically put an offer in on the first car you find? Shop around and compare rates. You may be surprised to find out not all data centers charge the same rates, and some may even be more competitive than others. Do your research—don’t just go with the first data center you find.

Environmental risks

Colocating your data in the event of a natural disaster affecting your business is just one of the benefits of using a data center. But what happens if a natural disaster affects the data center? Weigh the environmental risks beforehand. How likely is the data center to be hit by an earthquake? Tornado? Hurricane? Weigh the risks before investing. Find out what types of redundancies the data center utilizes in the event of an emergency and ensure that when something goes wrong, a fail-safe will be in place.

Security

What types of security measures does the data center utilize? In addition to top-of-the-line cybersecurity measures, your data center should utilize stringent physical security measures such as video monitoring and biometric authentication, just to name a couple.

Reputation

Finally, how much do others trust the data center? Find out what other people are saying about the data center through testimonials and reviews. There’s no better way to find out how satisfied customers are than hearing from the customers themselves. If the data center has a poor reputation around the web, keep looking. Don’t put your trust in the data center if they can’t earn that same trust from others.

What do you look for in a data center? Let us know in the comments!