As your business grows, your existing IT infrastructure may become a source of slowdown as you add more people, locations, and customers. And managing that growth — which entails juggling system upgrades, maintaining servers, and addressing security risks — often stretches resources thin and makes expansion a challenge.
Colocation offers a smarter, more scalable solution. With colocation, you can rent space in a facility overseen by professionals rather than manage your own data center. In addition, you retain ownership of your hardware while your colocation provider handles the essentials, including power, cooling, physical security, and network connectivity.
In this article, we’ll look at why scaling infrastructure can be such a headache and how colocation helps growing businesses tackle common IT scaling challenges
Why is scaling infrastructure a headache?
Expanding your IT setup sounds straightforward, but often, there are hidden challenges, including:
Space constraints
Your server room doesn’t grow with your company, which means every new piece of hardware you’ll be acquiring will have to compete for limited space. Before long, you’re cramming equipment into every corner, which can compromise efficiency and organization.
Rising costs
Scaling infrastructure requires more than just adding servers. You’ll also have to spend on electricity, cooling systems, fire suppression equipment, and additional staff to manage it all. The costs associated with these can squeeze budgets and limit opportunities to invest in other areas of your business.
Increased downtime and security risks
A more complex IT environment increases the risk of issues primarily because there are more points of failure and more potential targets to attack. Without effective backup systems and adequate security — which demand additional space, resources, and maintenance — even minor problems can lead to major downtime. This ultimately results in disrupted operations, frustrated customers, and lost revenue.
The colocation advantage: Growth without growing pains
Colocation gives you the foundation to scale IT without the usual complications. Here’s how it supports smooth growth:
Flexible space to expand
With colocation, space for servers stops being an issue. Colocation facilities let you scale up or down based on your business needs, whether you need a single rack, a private cage, or an entire suite for your servers.
Enterprise-grade power and cooling
The growth of your infrastructure increases the demands on power and cooling. Fortunately, colocation centers are purpose-built to handle these increasing requirements. Equipped with redundant power supplies, advanced cooling systems, and backup generators, these facilities ensure your systems stay online no matter how many servers you add.
Scalable connectivity
Growth often leads to demand for faster, more reliable internet. This often means renegotiating with internet service providers (ISPs) or upgrading infrastructure. Colocation facilities simplify this process by offering direct access to multiple network carriers and high-speed connections, allowing you to boost internet capacity and improve performance without being limited by your building’s existing provider.
Top-notch physical security
More infrastructure means more to secure. With robust safeguards such as 24/7 monitoring, biometric access, and multilayered protection, colocation facilities keep your equipment safe while your IT team focuses on digital security.
Predictable costs
Scaling in-house often brings surprise expenses, including emergency HVAC upgrades, unexpected power increases, or last-minute equipment purchases. Colocation offers predictable, usage-based pricing that simplifies budgeting.
Why colocation is a strategic move for growing businesses
With all these advantages, colocation isn’t just a technical solution — it’s a foundation for long-term growth. This is especially true for the following types of businesses, each of which benefits from colocation in distinct yet overlapping ways:
- Startups gain the flexibility to scale quickly without investing too much in real estate or infrastructure.
- Midsize companies can expand into new markets confidently, knowing their IT systems can easily keep up.
- Businesses running high-performance applications enjoy fewer interruptions and consistent performance, even as their teams or customer base rapidly grows.
- IT teams can focus on strategic projects and innovation instead of managing physical infrastructure.
How to decide if colocation is right for your business
If your business is growing or expecting growth, colocation might be the right solution. Think over the following questions:
- Are you running out of space for IT hardware?
- Is downtime impacting your operations or customer experience?
- Do you need faster, more reliable connectivity?
- Are you spending more than expected to develop and support your own data center?
If you answered yes to any of these, it’s time to consider colocation.
Partner with Liberty Center One for smarter scaling
Scaling your IT infrastructure doesn’t have to be stressful. At Liberty Center One, our colocation services are built to grow with your business. Our facilities provide the reliability, security, and flexibility you need, without the usual growing pains.
Get in touch today to learn how Liberty Center One can help your business scale smarter.