Top 10: Benefits of Off-Prem Data Centres

An off-prem data centre is a facility which houses computing infrastructure and resources off-premises to the organisation that uses it. Such a data centre may be operated by a third-party provider which specialises in data centre services - from managing servers to storage systems and securing networking equipment or managing legal compliance. These sites will also focus on top-tier security. They can support different service models, including colocation and managed services.

There are a range of advantages to having a data centre that is located off-prem from the main headquarters of a company - here’s our Top 10.

10. Reliability and uptime

Data centres are designed and built in a way which reduces the risk of downtime or of service interruptions. To make sure that off-prem data centres are reliable, off-prem data centres duplicate vital components of their infrastructure, so that in the event of one component failing, there is another ready to take over. 

For off-prem data centres, this is most important, as they are businesses with an efficient image to maintain, in addition to ensuring its services outweigh the advantages of on-prem data centres. 

9. Focus on core business

By outsourcing data centre operations to an off prem facility, a business can then focus on their own core competencies and strategic work, instead of managing their IT infrastructure. It is simply one less thing to worry about, once the best off-prem site has been chosen. However, a strong relationship between the company and the off-prem data centre should be built, to ensure harmony from site to site and so that when things go wrong, they can be resolved quickly.

8. Scalability

An off-prem data centre can scale its resources up or down, based on a business's needs. This will allow an organisation to quickly adapt to changing demands, without having to invest in expensive new hardware or learn how to run it. By offloading IT infrastructure management, this allows a business to focus on its core objectives, rather than expecting the unexpected and changing with the business world. The off-prem data centre can easily readjust its vast resources to meet changing business needs.

7. Expertise and support

For some businesses, the idea of managing a data centre in addition to running their operations, is simply overwhelming. Like catering, cleaning, reception staff and window cleaning, outsourcing this aspect of essential work - data infrastructure - gives a business more time to focus on itself and their future goals. Plus, they don't have to train staff or hire new employees. Off-prem service providers offer specialised teams, who can ensure that the data is managed safely and that any infrastructure issues are solved.

6. Geographical flexibility

For a business in a busy, expensive city, an on-prem data centre would take a big chunk out of their yearly budget. However, an off-prem data centre, perhaps a one hour drive outside of town, would offer the data centre space at a lower cost, with the physical room to expand. 

In addition, an off-premises data centre enables organisations to situate their data closer to their users or even in strategic locations, to improve latency and performance.

5. Disaster recovery and business continuity

When a crisis hits, having a plan already in place can make all the difference. Off-prem data centres must have comprehensive disaster recovery plans and backup systems in place, to ensure quick recovery in case of a disaster.

In February 2017, AWS experienced an outage, caused by human error during a routine debugging of the S3 billing system. This impacted services such as Netflix and Slack. Thankfully for AWS, it had a disaster recovery plan - engineers at AWS identified the problem and got to work restoring services. After the situation was resolved, the team reviewed procedures and implemented measures to prevent another incident like this from happening again.

4. Compliance and regulations

Like all aspects of business, data centres must adhere to industry standards and legal regulations for where they are based. 

Off-prem data centres can help organisations to meet the requirements related to data storage and security. Even cloud providers must comply with industry standards and regulations (such as GDPR and HIPAA).

As we explored in Top 10: Benefits of On-Prem Data Centres, some businesses have strict regulations for data privacy based on the geographic location that they operate in. Through using off-prem data centre infrastructure, there may be some flexibility. 

3. Security 

At the forefront of every mind in the tech sector, is security. Despite all of the paperwork and legal requirements concerning data centres as discussed above and the time they can take to navigate, data centres cannot afford to skip on security costs. 

Off-premises data centres employ tight security measures, from physical security of the building, to access controls and advanced cybersecurity protocols. Together, these measures can reduce the risk of internal or external data breaches and ensure compliance with regulations.

2. Cost savings

Maintaining on-premises infrastructure is an expensive process, from hardware costs to energy bills. Off-premises data centres actually reduce capital expenditures (also known as CapEx) as well as operational expenditures (or more simply, OpEx). 

Aligned Energy offers a data centre delivery model based on securing and expanding capacity as needed, so that customers only pay for the power they use. Aligned also provides engineering expertise and deploys its proprietary, modular heat removal systems for data centres and commercial buildings, enabling customers to expand on demand without having to reconfigure existing infrastructure or requiring large CapEx investments.

1. Sustainability

Data centres - whether on or off-prem - guzzle energy. Forward-thinking data centres are prioritising sustainable initiatives to reduce carbon footprints. However, large-scale off-prem data centres are often more energy-efficient.

As recently reported by Data Centre magazine, NTT DATA will construct a Jakarta 2 Annex Data Centre (JKT2A) in Indonesia. It will be built by 2026, as a part of the company’s larger Jakarta 2 campus and will offer clients 100% renewable energy options, which are aligned with achieving NTT DATA’s net-zero emissions target for its own operations, including sourcing 100% renewable energy by 2030.

"The launch of the new JKT2A underscores our leadership position in the country, as we grow our global data centre footprint to meet the increasing demand," says Doug Adams, CEO and President, Global Data Centres, NTT DATA.

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