Colocation vs Dedicated Hosting
Every organization has unique requirements and reasons for using a private cloud or enterprise cloud. As the business grows, the organization may require more control over its hosting. Therefore, it is wise to consider other hosting models.
What is the difference between colocation and Dedicated Server hosting?
| Colocation Server Hosting | Dedicated Server Hosting |
| Leases an entire server housed in an off-site data center which is dedicated solely for their own use and without anyone sharing the facility with them | Leases a rack or a cabinet in a highly secured off-site data center to house their server hardware and shares the use of the facility and its services with other colocation subscribers |
| Has the whole data center | Shares the data center with others |
| Own the hardware which gives you the total control when it comes to the choice of hardware and OS you want to use | Vendor owns the hardware, need to pay for upgrades of your machine |
Advantages of Colocation Server Hosting
- Having higher bandwidth means higher speed
- The user can decide the hardware and software of the server computer
- Have the opportunity and freely install any software and applications
- 24/7 technical and service support
Disadvantages of Colocation Server Hosting
- Difficult to find a Colo center that can be geographically distributed
- Must hire personnel with professional knowledge to run and manage the server
- Need to travel from the business center to the Colo center in order to perform off-site work on the server
- Fluctuation and variation in monthly bills make budgeting difficult
Advantages of Dedicated Server Hosting
- You can rest assured that the server will not share system resources, such as processor power, disk space and memory with any other subscribers who use the feature. Therefore, you can ensure that the performance of the server is in its best state
- Scalable. Companies can easily expand servers as their business grows
- Have your own unique IP address
Disadvantages of Dedicated Server Hosting
- Need to hire staff and professionals to run and maintain the server
- Provides limited flexibility and usually forces customers to choose the most appropriate option from several fixed feature plans causing customers to pay for unnecessary resources or restrict the use of specific resources to maintain cost-effectiveness
Which is better, colocation or dedicated server hosting?
Both hosting options have their pros and cons, therefore there is no direct answer to the question of which is better. By understanding well among the requirements and circumstances of the company, you can choose the right kind of hosting. If the organization has specific requirements and employees which have relevant skills available, colocation may be the best fit. Meanwhile, organizations with a higher standard may find that dedicated server hosting (some of the technical overhead has been outsourced) provides more benefits.
