How Location is a Significant Data Center Component

Data centers are an important part of the business structure for organizations in every sector, and they are essential for storing mission-critical applications and data. Since a data center plays such a crucial role, isn’t its location an important factor, too?

Ideally, a data center’s location should be one that is not susceptible to threats like natural calamities, technical snags or acts of terrorism. However, being on guard against these threats alone are not enough.

Here are 5 key angles that denote the best location for a data center:

• Availability and cost of power: Data centers need a lot of power for functioning. Even in 2012, data centers across the United States consumed as much power as five million homes. It is therefore vital for a data center to be located in an area where easy access to reasonably priced power supply is available.
• Susceptibility to natural disasters: Some locations are more prone to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and floods than others are. These and other natural calamities can interrupt operations and disrupt business activities, causing financial losses. A location that has a low occurrence rate of these calamities is an ideal place for setting up data centers.
• Economic costs: Every detail – the cost of construction, taxes, labor market and availability of quality – is a critical factor influencing location selection. These factors vary from place to place, so comparison and analysis of costs usually decide if the location is feasible.
• Infrastructure for network and telecommunications: Since network and telecommunications infrastructure are important for running operations, the location selected must have efficient connectivity and the cost of installation and operations should be reasonable. Redundancy of infrastructure and the existence of multiple carriers to bring down risk are important factors to be considered, too.
• Employees and their quality of life: In order to operate a data center, a skilled workforce is required. Therefore, access to civic amenities and a good lifestyle with good housing, educational and recreational amenities are a priority.

In addition to these aspects, other crucial elements, such as investment rules and legalities as well as company-specific requirements, come into play, too.

While choosing a data center, it is necessary for a business to choose one that has considered every pro and con before picking a location. At Lifeline Data Centers, we ensure that our location enhances our functionality and mitigates risks, thus helping your business thrive. Take a tour and check us out!

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.