By: Andrew Fray
A recent European-wide survey found that location is one of the most crucial factors when choosing a new data centre. As a priority, influencers rated location as second only to the availability of power - placing it well above other important considerations like cost and access to fibre networks.
However, the checklist for the perfect data centre location is complex. The local telecoms infrastructure, transport accessibility, workforce availability and proximity to major markets and customers are just a few of the considerations when selecting a site.
By colocating in an urban centre, organisations can meet all these criteria. With proximity to 8.6m people and 100,000 companies, nowhere embodies this potential better than central London. With millions of consumers just a stone’s throw away - not to mention a host of businesses, potential partners and connectivity providers - it’s little wonder that the heart of the capital is a colocation hotspot.
If your business is looking to move away from an on-premise data centre, or questioning the effectiveness of a regional-based one, three core benefits should drive you towards colocating in the capital.
1. Hyper-connect your networks.
London is a global hub for networks, peering exchanges and cloud providers, offering the most dense and diverse connectivity in the UK.
Firms with a physical footprint in central London can plug into some of the best infrastructure around, avoiding the need to establish costly metro or national tail circuits and slashing connectivity costs by around 25%.
Close proximity to London’s vibrant business community and easy access to all the major networks in Europe and the US also means minimal latency. Don’t underestimate the potential business impact – even an extra 100ms of latency can cost a company around 1% of its sales.
Central London also offers far more private access points to world-leading cloud platforms, such as AWS and Microsoft Azure, meaning businesses can capitalise on the superior performance benefits of hybrid cloud without compromising on reliability or security.
2. Put a DC on your doorstep.
Being based in central London offers ease of access to your infrastructure, avoiding the inconvenience and delays commonly associated with regional data centres.
If you’re planning on using a colocation facility as a primary or secondary site, your IT staff and contractors should have quick and easy access to the facility. With a central London data centre location and the capital’s world-class transport links, engineers can easily access your infrastructure from the nearest tube, train station or airport.
Situating your data centre in a tech hotspot also provides ready access to a skilled workforce. A central London location means 24/7 access to qualified engineers - increasing the availability, resilience and security of your data centre operations. Data centre downtime comes with a hefty price tag in the region of £594,000 per hour, so the ability to have engineers on site within minutes to install, upgrade or repair business-critical systems can prove hugely beneficial.
3. Supercharge your apps.
If you’re operating business-critical applications that are in any way response-time sensitive, it pays to colocate in central London. Colocating in the capital will minimise latency to the maximum number of users, helping to deliver a seamless user experience that will both increase productivity and keep customers coming back.
Applications don’t exist in isolation - they rely on a host of other applications, networks and data sources to work properly. This creates a complex, interdependent web that supports a host of crucial business processes, from sales and customer relations, to logistics and payroll. The sheer volume and velocity of data being exchanged at any one moment means that applications hosted in closer proximity to each other will improve performance.
With data consumption skyrocketing and no signs of a slowdown, businesses need to ensure that their infrastructure is not only highly connected, but also able to flex and scale with user demand. London’s connectivity gives your business the best possible chance of being prepared for the escalating intensity of this data explosion.
Where’s right for your business?
The data centre is the beating heart of any digital business; its location is vital for success. Your IT strategy needs to harness the right infrastructure and connectivity, in the right location, to deliver exceptional end-user experiences.
Uniquely situated between the Square Mile and Tech City, Interxion’s Central London Colo Campus offers ease of access, outstanding application performance and proximity to London’s dense population of businesses and consumers.
To help even more businesses capitalise on the capital, we’re currently investing in a £30m expansion. Opening in June 2018, and available to pre-let now, LON3 will add 1,800m2 of data centre space to help supercharge London’s digital economy.
Fed up with on-prem? Data centre stuck in the sticks? Learn more about what Interxion’s Central London Colo Campus can do for your business.