In the modern business landscape, data centers are integral to storing, managing, and processing data. As companies increasingly rely on IT infrastructure to drive business functions, understanding the difference between a full-service data center and a standard data center becomes crucial for choosing the right provider. While both offer essential space for hosting equipment, the level of service, support, and customization they provide can significantly impact the operational efficiency of an organization. This post breaks down the distinctions between the two types of data centers and helps you make an informed decision based on your needs.
What is a Standard Data Center?
A standard data center provides the basic infrastructure necessary to house IT equipment, including servers, storage devices, and networking hardware. The core services typically include power, cooling, and basic physical security. While standard data centers ensure the uptime of the hosted equipment, the management and maintenance of these systems are largely the responsibility of the client. These centers do not offer the same level of hands-on support or customization as full-service options.
The key characteristics of a standard data center include:
- Basic Infrastructure: Standard data centers focus on providing essential elements like power, cooling, and physical security, but with limited redundancy or customization options.
- Minimal Staff and Support: Standard data centers are typically unmanned, with only a security officer present. There is no dedicated technical team available on-site, which means that businesses need to manage their own systems and resolve issues themselves.
- Access Control: Clients typically use key cards to access the facility and must handle their equipment independently. There are no on-site technicians or engineers to provide immediate assistance.
- Limited Customization: The level of flexibility offered in terms of power, space, or networking is typically more basic. Businesses must manage their equipment according to standard configurations and cannot expect extensive custom solutions.
While a standard data center might work well for organizations with the technical capacity to manage their systems internally, it lacks the specialized services and support offered by more advanced facilities.
What is a Full-Service Data Center?
A full-service data center, on the other hand, provides not only the infrastructure to house IT equipment but also a comprehensive suite of managed services, technical support, and customization options. These data centers are designed to offer businesses more than just a place to store equipment—they provide an end-to-end solution with everything from proactive monitoring and IT services to hands-on assistance when needed. Full service data centers are in a much better position to support small businesses that have much more demanding support needs, whereas standard data centers will largely not be available at all to help. Full service data centers can educate staff on how to manage their power account for electrical usage to prevent spikes and power strip tripped breakers, which can disrupt the service. Often standard data centers leave it up to the customer to figure out their own power usage and customers circuits which can lead to outages
Here are the key characteristics that define a full-service data center:
- Advanced Infrastructure: Full-service data centers offer robust infrastructure with higher levels of redundancy, ensuring high availability. Redundant power systems, cooling setups, and multiple network paths are typically in place to minimize downtime. Full-service facilities often include multiple power feeds, advanced cooling solutions, and backup systems to guarantee the uninterrupted operation of critical IT equipment.
- 24/7 Technical Support: Unlike standard data centers, full-service facilities are fully staffed with engineers, technicians, and IT professionals. These experts are available round-the-clock to address any technical issues, ensuring that businesses can get immediate help for any problems that arise. These technicians are not simply security officers but highly skilled professionals with the knowledge to troubleshoot and resolve complex IT problems.
- Custom Solutions: Full-service data centers provide tailored configurations and services to meet the unique needs of each client. Businesses can take advantage of bespoke solutions, such as incremental power usage, metered billing, and specialized IT equipment. Customers can often access additional components such as RAM, CPUs, firewalls, and other hardware as part of their service. Additionally, full-service data centers can provide custom configurations for networking, storage, and computing power, ensuring clients have the resources they need to scale as their business grows.
- Remote Assistance: For customers who experience issues with their hardware, full-service data centers often offer KVM over IP units. These devices allow clients to remotely access and troubleshoot their servers, even if they are locked out. Typically, customers can use these KVM units for up to four hours at a time, or longer if no one else is using them. This feature enables businesses to resolve issues without having to be on-site, improving their operational efficiency and minimizing downtime.
- Proactive Monitoring: Full-service data centers offer extensive monitoring tools to keep an eye on critical systems. Customers can access dashboards that provide information on server health, temperature, power usage, and more. These control panels allow clients to perform remote reboots, monitor video feeds, and track the health of their hardware without requiring direct intervention. Additionally, full-service data centers often provide additional monitoring services such as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) monitoring to track the performance of customer hardware.
- IT Services and Additional Features: Full-service data centers often provide added IT services that are essential for businesses. For example, they may offer DNS hosting for colocation customers who don’t have their own DNS servers or email systems. These additional services help businesses streamline their operations without having to manage multiple vendors. Furthermore, full-service data centers may offer disaster recovery services, data backup solutions, and security services like firewall management and intrusion detection to ensure that client data is both secure and recoverable.
- On-Demand Customization: One of the biggest advantages of a full-service data center is the ability to customize solutions based on a client’s specific needs. Whether it’s adding specialized hardware, configuring power usage, or adjusting service levels, full-service data centers can adapt to meet the unique demands of their customers. Additionally, these centers may offer special features like metered billing or incremental power usage to help clients control costs more effectively. This level of flexibility allows businesses to avoid the one-size-fits-all limitations of standard data centers and ensures that their IT infrastructure aligns with their operational requirements.
Full-Service Data Centers: Boutique and Customized Solutions
A notable distinction of full-service data centers is their ability to offer boutique and highly customized solutions for their clients. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor their IT environment to meet their unique demands, ensuring that their systems are optimized for performance, security, and cost-efficiency. Whether it’s specialized hardware, custom configurations for bandwidth, or tailored power usage solutions, full-service data centers provide the resources needed to meet the precise needs of every customer. Standard data centers typically lack the depth of service required for these highly specific needs.
In contrast, full-service data centers provide hands-on, personalized service with a focus on customer relationships. They do not merely provide a “one-size-fits-all” environment. These data centers pride themselves on understanding the particular needs of their clients and work to deliver customized solutions that address those needs in ways that standard data centers cannot. This level of personal attention is what sets full-service data centers apart, offering a more tailored and flexible approach that aligns closely with business goals.
Operational Support and Expertise
Another critical feature of full-service data centers is their fully staffed facilities, in contrast to the sparse staffing at standard data centers. Standard data centers typically offer only minimal staffing, often just security personnel who manage access control. The staff at standard data centers are usually not trained to provide technical support, leaving customers to manage their own equipment, handle troubleshooting, and address system failures.
Full-service data centers, on the other hand, are staffed with skilled technicians, engineers, and IT professionals who can assist with a range of services, from hardware installation to complex troubleshooting. These professionals are available around the clock, ensuring that businesses have the support they need when issues arise. They are not just security personnel performing basic tasks like reboots—they are knowledgeable IT experts capable of diagnosing and resolving issues efficiently.
Moreover, full-service data centers typically operate a Network Operations Center (NOC) that monitors services and customer systems 24/7. The NOC ensures that any potential issues are identified and addressed before they become major problems. By monitoring all systems around the clock, full-service data centers offer a level of vigilance that standard data centers cannot match. The NOC team works proactively to minimize downtime and maintain system performance.
Additional Features and Services
Full-service data centers also provide a wide range of additional features that are not typically available in standard data centers. These can include access to additional hardware components such as cables, RAM chips, CPUs, and firewalls, which can be utilized as needed. This flexibility is especially valuable for businesses that need to quickly scale their infrastructure or expand their hardware capacity without the need to purchase new equipment.
One of the most valuable features offered by full-service data centers is KVM over IP (Keyboard, Video, Mouse over Internet Protocol) units. These devices allow customers to remotely access and control their servers, even if they are locked out of their system. The KVM units are typically available for up to four hours at a time, although they can be used for unlimited hours as long as no other customer is using them. This capability allows customers to resolve issues with their equipment from anywhere, at any time, without the need to be physically present in the data center.
Full-service data centers also provide control panels that offer customers real-time insights into their systems. These panels allow clients to perform remote reboots, monitor video feeds, track temperature, and conduct SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) monitoring of their hardware. These tools are often provided at no extra cost, allowing clients to maintain a clear overview of their system health and performance.
Furthermore, full-service data centers may offer specialized IT services like DNS hosting for colocation customers who may not have their own DNS servers or domain management systems. This is especially useful for businesses that want to consolidate their IT operations with one provider rather than manage multiple third-party services.
Hidden Value of Full-Service Data Centers
While the upfront costs of a full-service data center might seem higher, there is a significant hidden value that can ultimately save businesses money in the long run. Full-service data centers help customers manage their hardware or possibly assist in learning how they can reduce their power consumption and optimize their power usage, often educating them on how to manage electricity consumption to prevent power spikes that can trip breakers and disrupt services. Managing eletricity better is a large part of the cost of data center tenancy. Standard data centers, on the other hand, may leave it entirely up to the customer to manage their own power usage, which can lead to costly outages and downtime due to improperly managed circuits. Full-service providers can even educate clients on how to account for electrical usage and prevent costly service interruptions caused by power spikes.
Additionally, full-service data centers can assist businesses in managing their IT infrastructure more efficiently. Their knowledgeable staff can offer valuable insights into hardware maintenance, power management, and cost-effective configurations, which can reduce the overall operational cost of running equipment in a data center. This level of proactive support is typically not available in standard data centers, where customers are expected to handle all these aspects themselves.
Which One is Right for Your Business?
The decision between a full-service data center and a standard data center depends on your organization’s specific needs, resources, budget, and capabilities. If you have an experienced IT team capable of managing its own systems and infrastructure, a standard data center may be a more cost-effective option. If you only need a reliable space to house your hardware, a standard data center may be sufficient. However, if you prefer a more hands-off approach with managed services, enhanced security, and scalability, a full-service data center is likely the better option.
Moreover, full-service data centers are particularly well-positioned to support small businesses with more demanding IT needs, as they offer comprehensive support, scalable solutions, and hands-on expertise. Small businesses that may not have the resources to manage IT infrastructure effectively can benefit greatly from the added value of a full-service data center. They can benefit from the comprehensive support and education provided by full-service providers, which helps them reduce expenses and avoid costly mistakes. Additionally, the ability to scale up and customize solutions as business needs evolve can be a major advantage for organizations experiencing rapid growth.
Ultimately, both types of data centers offer distinct benefits, and by understanding the key differences between these two types of data centers, you can make a more informed decision and choose the best solution for your business’s needs, growth, and operational requirements. A full-service data center, with its specialized support, flexibility, and added services, is often the best choice for businesses that need a reliable, secure, and scalable solution to their IT infrastructure.
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