As a company we have toured and fully evaluated over 200 data centers worldwide. This first-hand knowledge enables us to place our clients in the best facilities for their specific needs.
As we work with an array of clients, in disparate industries, looking for services in diverse regions, each with different requirements, we find a wide range of variables between data center providers. These include: staffing experience, power redundancy, cooling redundancy, connectivity options, power density and age of the facility. In relation to these variables, we often see up to a 300% price variation between providers.
Power is one of the most important components that must be examined when comparing data center facilities. You must understand the power “lingo” to truly compare facilities on an apples-to-apples basis.
There are at least a dozen different ways in which data center providers define watts per square foot related to their power density. Unfortunately some provider definitions are designed to mislead the client.
Below is an example of four common definitions:
- Watts per square foot equals max breaker capacity at 100% of the A and B circuits (this is most misleading and favors the provider)
- Watts per square foot equals max breaker capacity at 100% of just the A circuits (this is misleading and favors the provider)
- Watts per square foot equals max breaker capacity at 80% of just the A circuits (more reasonable and realistic but still favors the provider)
- Watts per square foot equals max actual consumable power, not dependent on breaker capacity. The client is allowed to overbuild circuits and is billed on a true metered power basis (this favors the client)
Whether you are in finance, eCommerce, technology, media, gaming, retail, real estate or any other high demand industry, we cut through the clutter and find the right services with the right provider to maximize performance, efficiency, reliability and flexibility.
As your company grows and your needs change we can help to make sense of the thousands of cloud, colocation, and connectivity solutions available today. We keep you informed and advocate on your behalf so you can buy smarter.
For more information on how we can work with your company, contact an expert here.
