Information Center

How to choose the right data center for an enterprise's hybrid IT strategy

  

Digital business model has now become a new general standard, which expands the business scope of enterprises to a wider and faster extent than traditional enterprises dream.

In recent years, the addition of cloud computing has brought the agility and flexibility of enterprises to a new level, and enterprises have also actively accepted the trend of keeping lean and efficient.

However, it is not without its own challenges for enterprises to migrate their business to the cloud. Many companies have taken the large amount of data involved, concerns about downtime, and uncertainty about security and privacy as obstacles to entering the cloud computing space.

Due to local compliance regulations, mission critical or sensitive personal data may not be suitable for third-party hosting, and weak connectivity may weaken the convenience of enterprises to access their data in the cloud. In order to gain their own advantages, many companies choose to adopt a hybrid IT infrastructure.

In a hybrid IT infrastructure, enterprises can benefit from the flexibility and efficiency of cloud computing services without sacrificing control over mission critical data and legacy systems.

It is also very popular because it can be extended to vertical markets of various scales and provide highly customized strategies and services according to the needs and goals of enterprises.

The role of the data center in a hybrid IT infrastructure

The attractiveness of cloud computing and hybrid IT infrastructure has also led to the transformation of data centers.

Today, many data centers provide complementary services to support cloud computing and traditional infrastructure needs. These may include everything from virtualization and private clouds to collaborative positioning and hosting capabilities.

Since organizations will use both data centers and cloud computing in a hybrid IT infrastructure, selecting the right data center partner is critical to establishing a seamless workflow system.

In addition to providing the facilities needed for a hybrid IT infrastructure, the right data center partner should also be familiar with the latest industry trends and have the expertise needed to help facilitate the journey of customer transformation.

Factors needing attention

So what criteria make the data center the right partner for a hybrid IT infrastructure? The following factors need to be considered:

(1) Direct connection

Data centers that can provide direct connection with cloud computing providers through nodes have significant advantages. The ability to connect directly to the public cloud through the data center rather than through the public Internet means that customers can enjoy low latency, good security and high-speed connection, Hong Kong advanced anti DDoS server Eliminates most of the problems associated with adopting cloud computing technology.

(2) Interconnection

If various Internet service providers (ISPs) provide operator neutral data center services, this provides customers with significant advantages in terms of cost and choice. The fierce competition keeps the price at a lower level, and customers can freely choose the supplier that provides the best service quality. The importance of reliable connection to the cloud cannot be underestimated, because it will affect the cloud computing experience in the process of uploading and downloading data.

(3) Compliance with international and domestic standards

Many countries have developed local and international standards and regulations on the storage of sensitive personal information, which has a particular impact on companies in the financial services sector. These laws prohibit the storage of such data in the cloud, but the local data center where the enterprise operates can obtain the necessary local compliance certification and is easy to integrate with international infrastructure.

(4) Disaster recovery capability

Appropriate data center partners should develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity in the event of any disaster, including but not limited to data recovery and alternative workspaces. Similarly, splitting data assets between cloud computing and data centers can ensure that not all access will be interrupted if cloud computing or connection to the cloud encounters downtime.

(5) Technical expertise

With the right technical expertise, data center partners can provide advice and consulting services on whether an enterprise should adopt the best hybrid IT infrastructure strategy, which is very valuable for maximizing its benefits. The expertise of the outsourcing party also eliminates the need for users to hire consultants.

Expand infrastructure

As a leading data center and hosting service provider in ASEAN, Malaysia's AIMS Data Centre is no stranger to cloud computing or hybrid IT infrastructure.

In its efforts to support its customers and partners to transform into a hybrid model, AIMS has expanded its infrastructure capacity, established strategic partnerships with large-scale cloud computing service providers, and customized consulting services accordingly. For example, AIMS is the only provider in Malaysia that provides direct connection to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

This cloud computing centric approach has won the nomination of Frost&Sullivan, and become a company worthy of attention in 2018.

As Malaysia's leading interconnection hub, AIMS has the most extensive network connection options in the country. All domestic telecommunications companies and 80% of international telecommunications companies operate in their business premises.

It is the main site of the Malaysian Internet Exchange Center (MyIX), has five data centers in the ASEAN region, enjoys a wide range of global network coverage, and is also a protected site recognized by the Malaysian National Security Council.

Quality and compliance are important to the experience

It complies with various ISO quality management standards, information security management, etc., as well as the payment card industry data security standard (PCI DSS). This prudent compliance enables enterprises to provide services to customers in demanding industries.

As enterprises turn to digital and cloud computing as new common standards, their key competitive advantages will be speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Enterprises seeking to benefit from the hybrid IT infrastructure model need reliable data center partners, so they need support when starting the journey of transformation.