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Colocation Services.

Let us protect & power your IT with our colocation services, while you keep complete control. Housed in our award winning ISO-accredited UK-based colocation data centres, your IT is ultra-secure & benefits from high levels of resilience & connectivity.

Elevate your connectivity, security, and drive cost efficiencies with ANS colocation hosting services.

What is colocation?

Colocation, often abbreviated as ‘colo’, refers to the practice of housing privately-owned servers and networking equipment in a third-party data centre. This arrangement provides a range of benefits, including enhanced security, reliability, and scalability, without the need for a company to invest in and manage their own data centre infrastructure. Colocation is a smart solution for businesses looking to optimize their IT resources while focusing on growth.

Features of our colocation data centre

ISO-certified data centres

Custom built with only enterprise grade infrastructure, we deliver the flexibility and control each organisation requires.

Redundant power

Every site has Uninterruptible Power Supply systems and standby diesel generators to keep the site functioning in case of mains supply failure. N+1 redundancy giving 100% uptime SLA on power and cooling systems.

Cooling

We use Direct Expansion (DX) Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units in an N+1 configuration.

Fire suppression

Highly sensitive VESDA fire detection and gas suppression systems are installed in all of our Data Centres.

Free parking and EV charging

Free-of-charge car parking and EV charging for client use whilst on-site.

Onsite facilities

Crash carts and loaner tools available for use with no charge.
Free-of-charge on-site secure disk destruction.
Break-out rooms, rest areas, and refreshing facilities.

Benefits of colocation hosting services

Cost Savings

Save on upfront costs associated with building and maintaining your own data centre by outsourcing it to a colocation facility.

Operational costs are shared among multiple tenants, leading to lower expenses.

Reliability & Redundancy

Minimise downtime and uninterrupted operations of your business as colocation data centres are equipped with professionally-managed, fully-redundant power sources, cooling systems, and network connectivity infrastructure.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) guarantee a high level of uptime and reliability.

Scalability

Easily scale your IT infrastructure based on demand without having to invest in additional hardware or infrastructure to meet the growing needs of your business.

Flexibility to add more servers or equipment without significant upfront costs.

Expert Support

Support from certified engineers 24/7/365 and managed colocation services to assist you with deploying, managing, and troubleshooting your IT infrastructure.

Security & Compliance

Colocation centres are equipped with enterprise-grade infrastructure and adhere to strict compliance standards, ensuring your data remains safe and business remains compliant.

Enhanced physical and digital security measures compared to on-premises solutions.

Focus on Innovation

Allows you to focus on your core competencies while leaving the technical aspects to the colocation experts.

Reduces the need for in-house IT staff to handle data centre operations, travel costs and other expenses.

Our Managed Colocation Services

With years of experience providing managed colocation services to businesses of all sizes, ANS has encountered every challenge. Our extensive expertise makes us the perfect colocation partner to meet even the most bespoke requirements. Whatever your needs, our tailored managed colocation services offer the reliability and flexibility your business demands. 

How secure are ANS colocation datacentres?

We understand how critical value of data is to your organisation, hence we consistently prioritise data centre security—both online and offline.

  • ISO 27001:2013 (Info Security Mgmt.), ISO 9001:2008 (Quality), and PCI DSS.
  • Proximity cards.
  • Staffed 24/7/365 by ANS Data Centre engineers and SIA-accredited security guards.
  • Access control.
  • Internal and external CCTV.
  • 2.8m razor wire perimeter fencing with tiger-trap vehicle and pedestrian gates.
  • Site-specific, dedicated firewall technology.
  • 24hr SIA-accredited security patrols.

FAQs: Colocation

What is a colocation data centre?

A  colocation data center is a facility designed to house & manage computer systems, servers, & networking equipment for the purpose of processing and storing large volumes of data. It serves as a centralised hub for an organisation’s IT infrastructure, providing essential resources for running applications & storing information. Key features include robust hardware, networking infrastructure, cooling systems, & security measures. Colocation datacenters are critical for ensuring the reliability, security, and continuous operation of digital services for businesses & organisations.

What are the key components of colocation?

Key Components of Colocation: 

Datacentre Facility: 

  • The physical building where servers and other equipment are stored. 
  • These facilities are equipped with high-speed Internet connections, advanced cooling systems, backup power supplies, and robust security measures.

Rack Space: 

  • Customers rent rack space (measured in rack units or ‘U’) within the datacentre to house their servers. 
  • Options range from 10 rack units to entire multi-rack suites, depending on the customer’s needs. 

Power and Cooling: 

  • Reliable power supplies with backup generators and UPS systems to ensure continuous operation. 
  • Advanced cooling systems to maintain optimal temperatures and prevent overheating of equipment. 

Network Connectivity: 

  • Access to high-speed Internet and multiple network providers for redundancy and optimal connectivity. 

Security: 

  • Physical security measures such as surveillance cameras, biometric access controls, and security personnel. 
  • Cybersecurity measures to protect against digital threats. 

Where are your data centres located?

ANS owns and operates 5 data centre facilities, all in the Manchester UK area.

Which network connectivity providers do you have on-site?

All major carriers are onsite, including Cogent, BT, Zayo, Vodafone, Virgin Media, Neos, Telia and Lumen, so you can continue to use your existing connectivity supplier. If you don’t have a preferred network provider already, ANS also operates its own super-fast and fully-redundant fibre network, so can provide connectivity, bandwidth and IP addresses if required, for a fixed monthly cost. 

What is a carrier neutral provider?

A carrier-neutral provider is a data center or network facility that does not favor any specific telecommunications carrier or ISP.

It’s our duty as a carrier-neutral data centre operator to provide you with a wide variety of connectivity and communications options, including IP Transit, point to point, Ethernet and diverse dark fibre and wavelength. You can connect to your preferred carrier as easily, robustly, and affordably as possible.

How secure is the electrical power supply to the data centres?

Completely! All our cabinets are fed by A+B power supplies from different commando sockets. The power to all colocation cabinets is fed through Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) units, which are effectively huge battery banks. These are fed by utility grid power from redundant dedicated substations, and we have N+1 diesel generators onsite, to take the load if there is any interruption to the mains power. All systems are constantly maintained and are tested on a regular rolling basis.

What is a peering arrangement?

A peering arrangement refers to a mutual interconnection between two or more separate Internet networks for the purpose of exchanging traffic directly.  Peering involves the voluntary & reciprocal connection of networks to allow the exchange of data traffic without the need for routing through third-party networks or Internet service providers (ISPs).

ANS have agreements in place with LINXP, LONAPP, LIPEX, & IX Manchester, as well as relationships & provisions with pioneering Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers, such as BT, Virgin Media Business, IXReach, & Metronet UK.

Can I resell ANS colocation space to my clients?

Yes, speak to your Partner Manager or get in touch to discuss your requirements. 

Can I house sensitive data in colocation, for example payment card data?

Yes. ANS holds multiple certifications and accreditations, and our data centre personnel are cleared to a high Government standard.

How often can I visit my equipment in the data centre?

Our team are onsite 24/7/365 and so you can visit as often as you wish – just raise an access request in our https://ans.glass portal. Conversely you may not be local to Manchester, so may never visit, instead relying fully on ANS’ technicians for all hands-on tasks.

Are the public cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) replacing the colocation industry?

The short answer is no. Certain workloads are perfectly suited to the public cloud and others aren’t. If you already own your server hardware and operate your own on-site datacentre or IT suite, or if you require high-bandwidth or high-resource computing or would prefer a fixed and predictable monthly cost, colocation is likely to be a great fit for you. 

Which parts of the collocated solution am I responsible for?

You are responsible for your equipment within the cabinets, and for controlling logical access to your infrastructure. ANS is responsible for the facility’s physical security, the heating, cooling and fire suppression equipment and the network infrastructure. 

Can I look around the data centre before becoming a client?

Yes – Get in touch with our team to arrange a data centre tour. 

Discuss your colocation requirements with us.

Learn everything there is to know about our UK-based colocation data centres, including our high level of security, resilience, and power supplies. Schedule a free consultation with one of our colocation experts today and find out how we can help your business.