Modern companies typically use multiple solutions to their IT capabilities. In the past, most businesses supported their entire IT infrastructure from an in-house data center. Today, many organizations find that a single, on-premises dedicated data center is insufficient to address their business requirements and objectives.
A company can supplement an in-house data center with various strategies tailored to its unique needs. Some organizations choose to migrate some or all of their IT environment to the cloud. Others may choose to expand and modernize their existing data center to handle growth and support new technologies. Colocation solutions offer another way of addressing the complexities of efficiently leveraging the IT infrastructure needed to thrive in today’s competitive business market.
What Is Data Center Colocation?
Data center colocation involves renting space in a third-party facility for your servers, storage, and networking equipment. The service provides supporting infrastructure, including power, cooling, physical security, and network connectivity. Internet bandwidth and private connections may be included in the package or purchased separately.
With colocation, you supply and retain control of the physical equipment. With public cloud hosting, you consume computing resources as a service rather than installing your own servers in the provider’s facility.
Your team remains responsible for the colocated hardware and software unless a separate agreement assigns particular tasks to the provider.
Essential Features Of A Colocation Provider
Organizations searching for a colocation solution should consider how well the provider fulfills the following feature set.
- Reliability track record: The provider should demonstrate its ability to meet SLA guarantees with documented uptime history. They should have defined incident-reporting and communication procedures to be triggered during an outage.
- Redundant power supply: The colocation data center should demonstrate power redundancy with measures such as battery backup systems, generators, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) solutions. The facility must have sufficient power density to run the intended workloads.
- cooling: The facility must have redundant, reliable cooling systems to meet power requirements without causing thermal issues.
- Physical security: The data center must be secured by 24/7/365 on-site security staff backed by CCTV monitoring. Entry must be gained through multi-factor access controls, with visitors logged and escorted as appropriate.
- Connectivity: Network redundancy is essential to guarantee connectivity and communication. Ideally, the provider maintains a carrier-neutral facility that offers customers multiple options and avoids vendor lock-in.
- Scalability: Customers must be able to grow and add capacity ranging from a single rack to an additional suite. scaling also requires a flexible contract that can to new usage patterns.
- Compliance: The provider should demonstrate security with third-party SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification. Customers handling regulated data also need a facility that is compliant with HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or other industry regulations.
- Location: The facility should be in a physically secure location, for example, away from flood and wildfire zones. Customers may opt for a colocation data center close to their primary site to onsite visits.
- Customer support: Customers should expect 24/7 technical support, including remote hands for performing physical tasks without an onsite visit. SLAs should have clearly defined response times to resolve issues.
- Transparent pricing: The provider should offer clear pricing details, including fees for exceeding bandwidth or scaling resources.
Different Categories Of Data Center Colocation
Colocation services can be described by their commercial model, management scope, tenancy arrangement, or deployment scale. These categories overlap.
Business Model
Retail colocation provides smaller amounts of space, such as cabinets or cages within a shared facility. It can suit a limited deployment regardless of the customer’s company size.
Wholesale colocation provides larger blocks of space and infrastructure, such as a private data hall or building. Compare the committed capacity, fitout requirements, and contract term before treating a larger deployment as the more economical option.
Service Level
Managed colocation adds agreed services beyond the facility infrastructure. These can include installation, monitoring, hardware assistance, or other operational tasks. Confirm the scope rather than assuming that “managed” includes operating systems, databases, and applications.
Unmanaged colocation leaves the customer responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining the equipment and software. The provider still operates the contracted facility infrastructure. Remote hands can assist with physical tasks without becoming a complete server-management service.
Tenancy Style
Dedicated space can be a private cage, suite, or a building reserved for one customer. Confirm which resources and access areas are exclusive to your deployment.
Multi-tenant colocation places several customers in the same building. Each customer can retain separate equipment and secured space while sharing supporting infrastructure. A private cage does not make the entire facility single-tenant.
Size, Scale, Or Location
Hyperscale colocation supports large infrastructure deployments with substantial power, cooling, and expansion requirements. Evaluate usable capacity and delivery commitments rather than relying on a floor-area label.
Edge colocation aims to place infrastructure closer to users, devices, or regional network connections. Assess the routes and application performance you need; proximity alone doesn’t guarantee the latency your workload will achieve.
What Are The Business Benefits Of Colocation?
Avoiding A Facility Build
Colocation gives you access to data center infrastructure without constructing your own facility. Whether it lowers total costs depends on the service price, hardware investment, migration, staffing, connectivity, and contract term.
Access To Resilient Infrastructure
Redundant power and cooling can support your availability requirements. You still need to assess the facility design, maintain your equipment, and plan for failures that the service does not cover.
Connectivity Choices
A facility with suitable carriers, cloud connections, and exchange services can help you build the network your applications require. Verify what is available at the specific location.
Room To Expand
Additional space and power can support growth when capacity is available and contractually accessible. Agree on expansion arrangements before your current deployment reaches its limits.
Hardware Control
You continue to choose your servers, storage, network configuration, and replacement schedule. That control also comes with responsibilities you must manage or explicitly delegate.
Colocation Providers To Compare In 2026
The following shortlist includes regional, U.S., and international options. We compare geographic fit, deployment choices, connectivity, and operational support using published provider documentation.
The list is not a performance ranking, and the comparisons are not based on hands-on testing. As a colocation provider, we include our own Orlando service alongside the other options. Atlantic.Net and CoreSite are separate service providers, but our Orlando offering operates within a CoreSite facility.
Provider Comparison At A Glance
| Provider | Deployment Focus | Main Buying Question |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic.Net | Orlando cabinet and cage deployments with Atlantic.Net support | Which tasks, connections, and service commitments are included in the proposal? |
| Iron Mountain | International colocation, including specialized facility designs | Does the selected site meet your power, cooling, security, and reporting requirements? |
| CoreSite | U.S. deployments requiring cloud and network interconnection | Does the proposed location provide the connections and capacity your architecture needs? |
| Equinix | Multi-market and international infrastructure | Can the required deployment and support model be delivered at each selected site? |
| Ascenty | Latin American colocation and connectivity | Is the required facility operational, and are the necessary connections available? |
| TRG Datacenters | Houston-area deployments with physical infrastructure support | Which tasks qualify for free remote hands, and which require paid escalation? |
Atlantic Net
Our Orlando colocation service operates within a carrier-neutral facility managed by CoreSite. We offer cabinet and private cage options, single-mode fiber cross-connects, and round-the-clock remote hands.
The facility also provides access to Open Cloud Exchange for private connections to cloud and network providers. Consider our Orlando offering when you need to colocate existing hardware in Central Florida and want to discuss connectivity and support as part of the service design.
Our colocation agreement sets out power, network, and cross-connect commitments, exclusions, and credit procedures. Network uptime coverage applies when we provide internet access.
Pros:
- Specialized PCI and HIPAA-compliant hosting
- Single-mode fiber cross-connects
- Software-defined networking for on-demand access
- Hardened exterior capable of withstanding 160 MPH winds
Cons:
- Fewer physical colocation facilities than some competitors
Before You Commit:
Confirm the available space and power, included remote-hands tasks, and responsibility for hardware and software management. Discuss any HIPAA or payment-card requirements with us before ordering, including applicable agreements and customer responsibilities.
Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain offers colocation ranging from individual cabinets to dedicated data centers, with locations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Its services include carrier and cloud connectivity, and it markets high-density infrastructure for artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads.
The portfolio includes underground facilities, such as its Western Pennsylvania data center. That is a specific facility characteristic, rather than a description of every Iron Mountain location. The company also advertises renewable-power matching.
Consider Iron Mountain when you need to compare specialized facility designs or plan deployments across several regions.
Pros:
- Global presence across North America, Europe, and Asia
- Industry-leading sustainability and green energy commitments
- High-density power and cooling for AI and ML deployments
Cons:
- Focuses on business continuity rather than general colocation solutions
- Smaller customers may pay a premium for unnecessary enterprise-grade services
Before You Commit:
Obtain the specifications for the actual site. Confirm the rack density, cooling method, network connections, support coverage, and available compliance evidence. For sustainability reporting, establish what the provider’s electricity-matching claims cover and what documentation you will receive.
Coresite
CoreSite reports 30 data centers across 11 U.S. markets. Its offering combines colocation with access to network providers and public cloud connections.
Open Cloud Exchange supports software-defined private connections to cloud and network providers. This makes CoreSite a candidate for architectures that need to connect colocated equipment with cloud services or other sites.
The geographic consideration is straightforward: its listed data center footprint is U.S.-focused. A requirement for physical deployments in several countries needs additional planning beyond that footprint.
Pros:
- Direct connectivity to major public cloud providers
- Strategic locations in major U.S. metropolitan data hubs
- The Open Cloud Exchange (OCX) facilitates multi-cloud and hybrid IT management
Cons:
- Cost-prohibitive for small organizations
- Unclear pricing that can quickly escalate with cross-connect fees
Before You Commit:
Identify the exact cloud connection, carrier, bandwidth, and resilience requirements for each location. Request a quote that separates space, power, physical cross-connects, virtual connections, and support. Do not assume every connectivity component is included in the colocation charge.
Equinix
Equinix offers cabinets, private cages, and larger colocation deployments across an international data center portfolio. Its interconnection services support connections between colocated infrastructure, networks, cloud providers, and business partners.
Equinix Smart Hands provides physical support such as installation, cabling, power cycling, and troubleshooting. Its published facility information also describes biometric access controls, video monitoring, and on-site security staff.
Consider Equinix for projects that require infrastructure in multiple markets and access to a broad network of cloud and connectivity providers.
Pros:
- Advanced physical security with multi-layered access control and strict surveillance protocols
- Utilizes renewable energy and energy- cooling systems
- Equinix Smart Hands provides expert technicians for remote management, installation, and troubleshooting
Cons:
- High cost structure with premium pricing models and complex add-on fees
- Physical management requires scheduling visits for hardware modifications
Before You Commit:
Confirm the deployment options, power availability, support coverage, and connection choices at every proposed site. Include Smart Hands packages, installation work, cross-connects, and recurring connectivity charges in the comparison. A global portfolio does not mean every location offers an identical service package.
Ascenty
Ascenty focuses on Latin American colocation and connectivity, with a portfolio spanning Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. Its published footprint includes both operating facilities and facilities under construction, so check availability at the individual-site level.
The company offers carrier-neutral facilities, its own fiber network, cloud connectivity, and deployment options ranging from racks and cages to dedicated environments. These capabilities matter when your infrastructure needs to serve Latin American users or connect with regional operations.
Ascenty reports 100% renewable electricity for 2026 and discloses the use of renewable-energy certificates in its emissions accounting.
Pros:
- Strong international operational and environmental certifications
- Facilities are run using 100% certified renewable electricity
- Flexible modular configurations including individual racks and customized dedicated data centers
Cons:
- Higher cost structure than regional alternatives
- Geographic limitations with a heavy presence in South and Central America
Before You Commit:
Confirm the facility’s operational status, available capacity, and the carriers and cloud connections that can be delivered. Request site-specific assurance documents and the reporting methodology behind any sustainability claims relevant to your procurement requirements.
Trg Datacenters
TRG is a candidate for Houston-area deployments where physical infrastructure support is an important part of the buying decision. Its published options range from half-racks to private cages and suites. Its Colo+ service includes migration and installation work such as equipment transport, cabling, and rack setup.
TRG advertises no monthly recurring fees for cross-connects. Its free remote-hands tier covers non-emergency work without an SLA; emergency escalation is separately charged. That distinction matters when comparing routine assistance with time-critical support.
TRG also lists Dallas capacity, but its published data-hall availability begins in 2027. Do not treat that future space as available for a 2026 deployment.
Pros:
- Free cross-connects to reduce recurring costs
- Fully managed lifecycle deployment options for streamlined migrations.
- No-cost remote hands for 24/7 technician support
Cons:
- Operates out of a primary regional facility in Houston, TX
- Limited deployment options
Before You Commit:
Agree on the migration scope and schedule rather than assuming a universal 12-hour move. Confirm which support tasks are free, the terms for emergency escalation, and whether installation or carrier charges apply to your connections.
Final Thoughts
Start with the requirements that can rule out a facility: location, available power, deployment date, connectivity, and operational responsibilities. Then compare written proposals using the same equipment inventory, growth assumptions, support scope, and contract period.
For an Orlando deployment, contact our team to discuss your colocation requirements. Share your hardware inventory, expected power draw, network requirements, growth plans, and any compliance obligations so we can discuss the appropriate service scope.
Written by
Robert is a regular contributor and blogger for Atlantic.Net living in Northeastern Pennsylvania who specializes in various information technology topics. He brings over 30 years of IT experience to the table with a focus on backup, disaster recovery, security, compliance, and the cloud.
