A complete guidance towards Colocation

First question that comes to our mind after hearing colocation is that ‘What exactly  it  is ?’ well here in simple words we can say that it involves process of purchasing your own hardware and housing it at your data centre and taking responsibility of its security , providing it with a smooth internet service . Here all hardwares are ownd by you so all its responsibility is solely upto you to provide your servers with afree and secured envoirnment .
Process Cycle for starting –
First step you have to carry out is , you have to purchase server you would be colocating at your data center , make sure to purchase an effecient one and it is also recommended to have a supply of replacement hardware ready as you might need it .
Next step will be looking up to your data center and ensuring that it is provided with reliability , support of a stable network , backup options in case of power failure , standard location and etc . There are firms out there who shed out a handsome amount of money on above facility to make sure they are on top notch .
Choosing a location is an important step especially when you have a target market . For instance if you’re target market is East cost of USA then you must have your data center at East cost .
Another step would be researching on the history , for this you might get in touch with the service providers there , extract as much information as you can , note down about their experience and if they left what were the reasons behind it and etc .
 Costs and advantages involved –
After following all this steps if you have made up your mind to start with it then generally the first question is regarding its cost or investment . It is a common fact here that , thogh upfront cost is more than rental , but long term benefits you would receive is greater .
Here you own all your hardwares so you are free to decide about the combination of the hardware , according to your need and choosing a combination from wide range of hardwares available the cost will be determined .
Biggest part of your cost is formed by the server you choose . A typical mid range to a  absolutely high end server in todays time will cost you somewhere around $2000 to $5000 each .
Colocation comes into best use when servers are needed in bulk by your company. You save hardware cost , bandwith cost and fees you pay over time .
Dedicated server or Colocation –
Lets have a small comparision between colocation and its counter part Dedicated hosting .
If we consider the cost of dedicated server it is best suited if your needs are of less servers , but however as the bulk quantity is increasing switching to Colocation will be better and more costeffective .
Many of dedicated servers provide you with a lower quality of hardware and often charge you with a fees for upgrading your RAM , whereas in Colocation you are free to choose your own brandwith according to your needs .
To sum up we can say easily that Colocation is an effecient option for bulk requirements. And dedicated is first choice for smaller scale option . So it is upto you and your needs that which one to be selected .