Matt Cantwell, Director of Portfolio Propositions, Colt Data Centre Services
Hyperscale is by its very definition a massive undertaking. It enables organisations to meet unprecedented demand for services from a global audience of customers at a massive scale.
The sheer magnitude of hyperscale operations means that there are many considerations that go into determining the right provider to support your needs. When it comes to operating effectively in the long-term – even as customer demands and global business climates evolve – one of the key considerations that can not only weather these changes, but instead propel your business and expansion goals in the long-term, is location.
Whether your goals may be to grow your footing in new regions in line with customer demand, retain an advantage over your competitors or to simply expand your business, streamlining your operations to be as efficient, effective and scalable as possible will be essential. Being in the right location can give you the edge you need to achieve this.
Whether you’re an organisation looking to grow or a hyperscaler, here are the top 3 reasons why picking the right location to operate from can be a huge gamechanger for your business.
Keeping it close
Proximity to customers is a key priority for any hyperscaler or international business. Ensuring your data operations – whether it’s storage or management – are located in a facility close to your customers and to your other data centres in the region is essential.
The closer your hyperscale site of choice is to your target customers, the more able you will be to deliver a superior, low-latency experience. This in turn can have a significant impact in improved customer satisfaction and retention – all of which can go a long way in helping you grow your market share.
The right connection
The benefits of picking the right location goes further than geographical proximity.
The right location brings with it a multitude of connectivity options, which can be a key differentiator for hyperscalers and enterprises looking to gain advantage over competitors.
The availability and accessibility to dark fibre is of key priority, allowing you maximum control and flexibility over your network, and enabling you to scale up or down as your bandwidth requirements evolve. It offers virtually limitless capacity and the right location can make this a reality for you.
If your provider is unable to provide the right type of connectivity in the location you are interested in, it is important that they are willing to work with you and your preferred carrier partners to ensure that your fibre needs are met on-site. The right provider should be willing to support your connectivity needs, even as it changes over time.
Powering growth
Whether you are a hyperscaler or a large-scale business, growing and expanding into new markets and regions in line with customer demands will likely be part of your long-term goals.
For many, it simply is not a feasible or cost-effective option to build an owned data centre or hyperscale facility in every location you’re looking to expand into. That is why it is important to rely on a provider that can power your growth and help you scale as you need. The right providers will have teams actively sourcing land in data centres hotspots.
It is also a good idea to ensure your provider’s presence and global growth plans are in line with the markets you may be interested in moving into. Along with the resources and local expertise, they will be able to get you into new locations at a much faster rate, setting you up for success by supporting your go-to-market strategy and handling any jurisdiction laws and local market legislations in the region.
