Survey reports steady growth in Data Centre outsourcing

Managed Hosting is the most-used outsourced hosting service, with 40% of the respondents who used a hosting service relying on it. The numbers using cloud-based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and dedicated infrastructure services are growing too, though, at 20% for each.

“It’s easy to see where businesses are headed, into the Cloud, where remote applications will help businesses operate more efficiently and take advantage of cost-savings and new applications. When we planned to invest £4million in a state-of-the-art data centre, we did it with the Cloud in mind. We believe that working with Zen gives businesses a head start in the brave new world of Cloud, with access to subject experts who have spent years researching the technology and building best-in-class platforms,” said Richard Tang, Managing Director.

Cloud platforms and data centres also depend on reliable connectivity, whether hosting applications in-house, in a colocation facility or using public/private cloud services. The survey showed that reliable data centre connectivity was vital to 94.6% of respondents, with 79% choosing speed as also important.

There are numerous benefits to be had from choosing a supplier who can provide both Cloud and connectivity services including economies of scale, as well as technological and security advantages to be had when WAN connectivity is delivered directly into the data centre and managed by the same provider. 75% of those already using the Cloud stated that it gives them greater flexibility, lower costs and greater agility.

Businesses also need robust backup and disaster recovery systems and the kind of service and support that they can count on, 60% stated that the level of support was their most important criteria.

74% of respondents considered security vital when choosing a data centre. Security is essential, both network security to protect the servers and infrastructure, and physical security to control who can access equipment and when.

“Companies like Zen providing both hosting and connectivity services are experts when it comes to knowing what combinations work best together, making us best placed to offer help and advice to those who need it,” added Richard.

Zen has recently expanded its Data Centre due to increasing customer demand for its hosting services. The Data Centre has gone from strength to strength since its opening 18 months ago including recently being awarded the European Commission’s EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres Award 2014. Capacity is such that the first phase is now full. The Data Centre now comprises of 8 halls. Planning for further expansion is already underway and will eventually deliver a further two halls.
This further expansion forms part of Zen’s £4m investment in its Data Centre and provides additional capacity for Zen’s growing hosting portfolio including; Managed Hosting and Managed Cloud Hosting. Zen is also offering state of the art Co-location from only £59 per month. Other investments have included two state of the art Diesel Rotary Uninterruptible Power Supplies (DRUPS) that provide a greener standby power solution.

Zen’s Data Centre expansion forms part of its continuous infrastructure development which also includes significant investment in major developments of its next generation network. Over £4m has been made in Zen’s core infrastructure to build a network of local exchange Points of Presence (PoPs). Zen’s 200 PoPs plus another 270 exchange locations will enable it to provide services to at least 6 million UK premises.

For customers who want their own data centre, but without the associated costs and overheads of having to build, manage and maintain their own environment, Zen’s Private Suites give customers the opportunity to create a tailored data centre space to suit their individual business requirements. A Private Suite provides an additional tier of security and greater flexibility for customers looking to collocate larger quantities of equipment across multiple racks.