The cloud continues to grow rapidly, with analyst firm Gartner projecting that the worldwide public cloud services market alone will grow 17 per cent this year to a total of US$266.4 billion (SG$376.6B).
Alongside the rising prevalence of software-as-a-service (SaaS) such as Google Apps, Dropbox and Slack, next-generation solutions and enterprise deployments are also increasingly, if not predominantly, based on a cloud paradigm. There is hence no question that the cloud is fully in the mainstream today.
But what are some challenges that colocation service providers face in terms of outfitting their facilities to serve enterprise customers rolling out their private cloud deployments?
Providing a complete solution
Cracking the Code: How to Make Your Colocation Spot Unforgettable
When you’re throwing a twirl into the crowded colocation arena, the first obstacle is usually: getting new customers to even look at you. Once a company takes a long‑term lease, they’re pretty damn committed—so the real battle is about staying their attention and proving you’re the best partner for their tech dreams.
It All Starts with the Basics (And Then, of Course, the Extras)
- Power – No short‑circuiting and no power outages.
- Cooling – From HVAC to clever fan designs that keep heat out.
- Physical Security – Locked doors, badge readers, and surveillance that actually matters.
If you nail these fundamentals, investors and IT teams nod in approval. But to really set yourself apart, you’ll need to pivot to the “next‑gen” tech that’s making waves.
The Hyper-Converged Craze
Hyper‑converged infrastructure (HCI) is the new kid on the block, and it’s demanding more power per square foot than the old‑school servers. The sweet spot? Adapting your existing gear to handle that extra juice without dropping a drone (i.e., buying new machines).
Picture this: You reconfigure, you re‑allocate, and voila—fast, smooth provisioning that gets clients up and running faster than a coffee shop’s espresso machine.
Why the Sizzle Matters
- Higher density = more computing power in the same footprint.
- Less hardware means lower capital expense and cooler environmental impact.
Bringing in the Cloud
Modern enterprises aren’t keeping all their data on a single corner of the earth. They’re walking the tightrope between on‑prem and hybrid cloud setups, so your colocation center must keep up.
- Fast, stable links to big cloud players — make sure your network can ferry traffic back and forth without a hiccup.
- Dark fibre backup — whether you’re eyeing a passive backup site or an active‑active dual‑site rocking, redundancy is the name of the game.
Expecting the Unexpected
In the age of endless cyber risks, DDoS protection is becoming a non‑optional feature. Your customers want to feel shielded from pesky attacks that could cripple their services.
- Implement bold, multi‑layer defense—traffic scrubbing, rate limiting, and smart diversion tactics.
- Showcase your incident‑response expertise to ensure clients know you’ve got a plan when the bad guys get aggressive.
So, the recipe is simple: Robust fundamentals, smart tech transitions, reliable connectivity, and bullet‑proof security. Pull these together, and you’ll be the colocation provider that enterprises choose—and stick around with—because you’re both comfortable and forward‑looking.
Get there with modular systems
While some of these capabilities such as DDoS protection falls within the “value-added service” realm, having the right infrastructure in place can make a world of difference for the other deliverables.
For example, this could range from the use of Schneider Electric modular CRAC (computer room air conditioning) units and Schneider Electric modular UPS (uninterruptible power supply).
The ability to seamlessly upgrade these components can offer immense benefits to the flexibility of the colocation provider to address evolving requirements with minimum fuss.
Of course, the presence of modular systems alone will not suffice given the sophistication of today’s data centres. Modern data centres are controlled by DCIM systems to monitor a plethora of systems and enhance the reliability of the facility.
More sophisticated systems can also integrate with the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors or utilise machine learning (ML) for heightened energy efficiency.
On its part, Schneider Electric is continually striving to help cloud and colocation service providers meet their business requirements in a variety of ways.
This ranges from modular systems used to power and cool data centre, to helping enterprises roll out their hybrid cloud deployments.
Learn more about the role of the DCIM in data centre management here.
Article by Michael Kurniawan, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Singapore-Malaysia-Brunei, Schneider Electric
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