A recent study found that high percentage of data centre colocation users are unhappy with the customer service they receive from their providers.

As a result, customer service has become the top criteria customers are using when seeking out the services of new providers.

Other than good customer service what other criteria should be used when seeking out the services of a new provider?

> See also: Top five things to remember when colocating your business

There are at least four important considerations customers should consider to avoid being dissatisfied with their choice of colocation provider.

Does your colocation provider offer you the flexibility needed for your future requirements?

You need a space that is fit-for-purpose and is flexible enough to give your business the ability to quickly respond when market changes necessitate scaling up or down.

The inherent benefit of colocation is that you can expand your capacity very quickly and a quality provider establishes the future requirements of your business, who you are working with and what you are going to need.

Essentially, good customer service is about looking to the future and it’s important that you check you can change the services when you might need to.

Is your colocation provider well connected?

Continuity of communication relies on good connectivity. If the connectivity providers already have their physical points of presence (PoPs) in the data centre, you can connect quickly and easily. A carrier-neutral data centre should also be at the top of your considerations.

With a wide choice of fixed and mobile carriers, ISPs, Internet exchanges and other network service providers, you build your communication networks as your business needs require.

As your needs change, it’s important that you can move from one provider to another within the data centre with minimal disruption.

Connecting to the cloud is the current driver and it is increasingly the cloud service providers that make connectivity rich data centres more appealing to customers.

What about location, location, location?

It certainly comes as an advantage to have a provider that has data centres in locations that can extend the changing reach of your business.

If you are looking for European-wide connectivity, you should put your confidence in a provider with locations in key European commercial hubs, access to Europe’s Internet exchanges and country-by-country low latency network connectivity into key hubs serving target customer groups in mature or emerging markets.

The safety of your information is, of course, another major consideration for customers looking for a new data centre provider. It is here when a ‘safe’ location for protecting valuable data and the housing of sensitive financial information and intellectual property becomes high up on the priority list as well.

Is your colocation provider in the know?

As well as establishing potential future requirements with your provider, you should look to your provider to advise you on how to keep up with the next major trends in the industry.

> See also: Head in the cloud? How to keep your feet on the ground

Furthermore, if your provider has extensive knowledge about your sector, such as the specific requirements of the financial or digital media sectors for low latency connectivity, then your business can be offered credible advice and solutions that really hit the mark. This support can be invaluable to your business.

When it comes to choosing a colocation provider, you need to decide which one is the best fit for your business, not just for today but also the future.

Of course, good customer service is a core consideration in the decision making process, but by addressing these four points as well, you can be satisfied that your provider ticks all the boxes.  

Sourced from Richard Dorgan, Director Marketing Communications, Interxion