Primary misconceptions of London Data Centres

pws Netcetera News 10/05/2010 | 0

The benefits of a datacentre outside London and the added benefits of hosting with Netcetera

It is often difficult to acknowledge the difference between myths and truths and recently it has been publicised that myths within the data centre industry have now been commonly accepted as truths. This is leading companies to make decisions regarding their colocation or hosting choices that ultimately are just not right for their business. This is a concerning prospect given that now more than ever before, it is vitally important that businesses get the most out of their investments and ultimately make the right decisions with regards to data management.

London is widely believed to be the model location for your data. The capital is close to transport links, central to businesses and on the hub of the fibre networks. With all this in mind it is no wonder London is seen as a prime data centre location. However, in reality the picture is not all that it seems. London is a minefield. Data centres located in the heart of the city are competing for power and fibre on an already oversubscribed network. This leads to an increased risk in outages and downtime for your servers. It is also very important to remember why businesses use colocation services in the first place – to ensure business continuity.

The Solution

Managed hosting and data centre provider, Netcetera, has tackled the London space shortage with their expansion into a new zone of a 10 million pound development on the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man and Netcetera’s datacentre is perfect for co-location and disaster recovery services. Power is supplied from three of the most modern power stations in the UK, the data center has natural security provided by the sea and the resilient high capacity fibre optic cables connected to both Manchester and London mean that connectivity is superb.

Keeping your data Secure

London is a prime suspect for terrorist attacks and the 7/7 bombings only confirmed this. Any potential threats could result in access being shutdown indefinitely leaving customers in the lurch. Another misconception is that data centre space in London is more expensive because you are receiving much better quality and higher specifications than elsewhere in the country. In reality though London is an expensive city, space is scarce and as a result most data centres are not in purpose built buildings but in converted existing buildings which are not going to be as fully specified as a purpose built site.

Giving you room to grow

Companies are being restricted from expansion by both space and power shortages in their current data centers. Here on the Isle of Man we are in a great position to offer co-location at an all-in-one price for any business. Due to this, banking and financial services companies are showing particular interest in Netcetera. A purpose built data centre such as Netcetera’s Dataport is a prime example of the benefits of a building designed specifically for the bespoke needs of a data centre. Secure parking and facilities such as meeting rooms and kitchen facilities are potentially high priorities in terms of security and comfort for both customers and their clients alike.

Datacentre Access

Another perception is that being a city that never sleeps London data centres can offer 24/7 access to their facilities. This is not the case, many data centres have to adhere to strict planning restrictions which mean that access procedures can be very slow limiting or even prohibiting night time or weekend access. Most businesses will need to maintain an uninterrupted service so they will need access when required at any time of the day or night. The Isle of Man is only a maximum of an hour by plane from any UK airport and clients using Netcetera’s co-location facilities have 24hr access, 365 days a year. Clients can also manage their servers remotely with virtual server management services.

Datacentre Tour

Rather than basing your decision on a set of assumptions, seeing the site for yourself before committing to a contract will help to ensure that you don’t get tied into a contract which you will later regret. A data centre that values you as a customer and appreciates your business should offer a personal guided tour as a matter of course; this is the only method in which to gain a real perspective on whether or not the data centre is the right one for your business.

Datacentre benefits at a glance

In terms of infrastructure The Dataport features an exceptionally highly specified infrastructure which at its core incorporates 2(N+1) power, generator and UPS. Redundant cooling and fire protection and suppression systems, specialised heat and smoke sensors, raised flooring, scalable power for future expansion, 24×7 technical support 365 days a year.

Physical Security

The standard of security at The Dataport is second to none. That it’s housed in a building that was previously used to manufacture industrial diamonds says a lot about The Dataport’s physical security arrangements. In fact, the entire Freeport zone is a fenced site and access can only be gained via a barrier controlled from a manned security lodge. Visitors must pre-warn of arrival and provide acceptable photo identification, before gaining admittance.

IT Security

While physical security is important, it would be rendered redundant if not for Netcetera’s provision of the world’s most advanced IT security measures. Netcetera partners with global technology and IT security brands and offers specialist management services so that customers can focus on their core business and never have to worry about security risks.

London vs The Isle of Man – Added benefits

Netcetera’s success is in part down to its location on the Isle of Man, a low tax jurisdiction that is extremely friendly to e-business. The government boasts that the Island gives its residents and businesses the ‘freedom to flourish’ and does what it can to make this happen with several incentives. For example, internet-based companies could realise tax savings of up to 47.5% of total profit. There is also a range of grants available. The government prides itself on being flexible and responsive to the needs of business and this experience is borne out across many industries on the Island.

What are the next steps?

To speak to one of our Hosting Specialists about what our services can do for you, or to arrange a Data Centre Tour (virtual or in-person) or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form, call 0800 061 2801, Request A Call Back, Chat Online or Request a Brochure.

Primary misconceptions of London Data Centres