Data centers store, process, and distribute information and are one of the fastest-growing sectors in North America. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have data centers worldwide, and in the U.S. alone, data center inventory has doubled in the last five years.1
The rise of cloud-based computing has created a need for larger, more efficient, and secure storage options. So, is using a data center a smart choice for your Greater Houston Area company? See how utilizing these facilities can be a game-changer.
Data Centers Provide Growth Opportunities
Data centers are more than storage sites. Industries like energy, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and more rely on these facilities to protect crucial information and support low-latency, cloud-based computing while reducing the costs of technology upgrades and cyber security tools. Here are five reasons a company should consider using a data center.
1. Data Storage and Consolidation
Let’s say your business is spread out across multiple sites or you have finite space. Data centers help consolidate your server and storage needs without compromising safety, software, hardware, or maintenance needs. Technology infrastructure is also rapidly evolving. Depending on the facility, you have access to 24-hour managed services, expert support, advanced security protocols, and more. At PS Lightwave’s LightHouse data center, you have 24-hour access and Smart Hands in a highly secure building with multiple layers of power redundancy.
2. Advanced Physical and Cyber Security
Protecting your data from physical and digital threats requires constant software updates, 24/7/365 network monitoring, compliance certification, and, in some cases, physical surveillance. Entrust’s 2021 Global Encryption Trends Study data showed 65% of companies say it’s a challenge to keep track of sensitive data.3 Data centers specialize in keeping intellectual property and private information consolidated and out of the hands of cyber criminals, whether through managed services, performing critical updates, multi-factor authentication, or zero-trust frameworks.
3. Disaster Recovery/Backup
Data centers are protected from severe weather or natural disaster impacts, giving companies an added layer of uninterrupted protection with no downtime. In Houston, this means building a facility outside of the 500-year floodplain to avoid the damaging effects of hurricanes like the flooding experienced during Hurricane Harvey. Data centers also provide complete backup protection in cases like Houston’s 2021 power grid failure, where power was out for seventeen days after severe winter weather.
4. Colocation
Colocation means a company houses its servers offsite in enclosed cabinets of varying sizes or rents rack space in a shared cabinet. This saves space and minimizes cooling and maintenance costs. Colocation gives companies control over their physical servers instead of public, cloud-based data center storage where a cloud provider manages servers, networks, and cyber security needs with cloud-based options.
5. Clean Power Solution
Computers that hold gigabits worth of data require massive power to operate and stay cool. Not only will data centers help your company save money and hit environmental social and governance (ESG) goals, but they’ll also help you meet national carbon neutrality targets.4
Data Center Options in Houston
Proximity to your data center increases your company’s overall Internet connection speed. PS Lightwave owns and operates LightHouse Data Center, a 12,000 square foot, Tier 2, fiber-connected, carrier-neutral center with redundant power, cooling, and connectivity to support physical hardware and hybrid solutions with the major cloud providers.
PS Lightwave has also partnered with virtually all data centers in our footprint, giving organizations in the Greater Houston Area access to multiple sites with carrier-neutral, around-the-clock surveillance and 24/7 access. Have a question about how Houston data centers fit into your growth plan, or just need more detailed information? Get in touch with PS Lightwave’s team of experts.
Sources:
1https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/us-real-estate-market-outlook-2022/data-centers
2https://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/north-america-data-center-trends-h1-2021
3 https://www.thesslstore.com/blog/cyber-crime-statistics/
4https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/us-real-estate-market-outlook-2022/data-centers
