What To Consider When Choosing A Silicon Valley Data Center

Silicon Valley is a densely populated area and most of the people in it are highly technologically literate. In other words, they are exactly the sort of people who will not only use online service but expect the highest standards from them.

If you are serving these people, it can be very sensible to use a Silicon Valley data center. Here is a quick guide to what you need to know.

Why choose a Silicon Valley data center?

Situated in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley is globally renowned as a hub of innovation, particularly technological innovation. As a result, Silicon Valley data centers often deploy cutting-edge infrastructure. This allows them to offer the highest-speed connectivity and carrier-neutral services are standard.

The region also has an excellent pool of talented IT staff on which to draw and a commitment to sustainable business. This includes sustainable data center operations.

Another benefit of choosing a Silicon Valley data center is that the area has a very benign climate. Even in summer, the region does not usually experience severe heat. Other types of extreme weather conditions are very rare, as is civil unrest.

What to consider when choosing a Silicon Valley data center?

Here is an overview of the key points to consider when choosing a Silicon Valley data center.

Security

No matter what your other needs, wants or budget, security cannot be compromised. Not only is it essential in its own right, but it also forms the basis of other essential factors. These include data security standards (compliance), incident management, business continuity and disaster recovery.

For some businesses, it will be essential to find a Silicon Valley data center that complies with particular data security standards. Even if it isn’t, knowing that a Silicon Valley data center vendor can meet these standards is reassuring.

Firstly, it shows their competence in managing information security. Secondly, it means that the vendor will still be able to support you if your needs change in the future.

Infrastructure needs

All organizations will need to check the data center’s own infrastructure. If an organization is planning to use the data center’s supplied hardware, they will need to evaluate that as well.

Here are the key points to check.

Power: Ensuring a stable and redundant power source is crucial to prevent disruptions and protect against data loss. Data centers should therefore have at least one backup power source they can use in the event of an outage to their main system.

Climate control: Climate control involves maintaining optimal temperature and humidity levels within the data center to ensure the efficient functioning of IT equipment. Proper cooling and ventilation systems are essential to prevent overheating and maximize the lifespan of hardware.

Network connectivity: A well-connected data center with high-speed, redundant network links ensures low latency, high performance, and reliability in transmitting data to and from the center. Ideally a Silicon Valley data center should be carrier neutral and support interconnectivity within its facility.

Hardware options: If you’re planning to use vendor-supplied hardware, then you’ll need to know what the vendor can supply. Even if you’re not, this can be useful information for future reference. Additionally, you’ll need to know the extent (if any) to which you can customize and/or scale infrastructure according to specific business needs.

Sustainability measures: Initiatives such as the use of energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy help to minimize the environmental impact of data center operations. This aligns with the growing emphasis on eco-friendly data center solutions.

Performance

Performance in a data center context refers to the speed, responsiveness, and overall efficiency of the IT infrastructure. It encompasses the ability of the data center to handle and process workloads, ensuring optimal performance for applications and services.

A data center’s ability to maintain its performance standards consistently can be assessed by checking its tier rating, the vendor’s SLA guarantees and its historical performance data.

Location

The precise location of a Silicon Valley data center can have a strong influence on its operations and running costs. For example a data center’s location will directly link to its security and its accessibility.

It is also likely to be relevant to its infrastructure options, particularly its network connectivity. This in turn will have an influence on local real-estate costs. These will influence the costs of using a data center.

Vendor quality

A high-quality vendor will demonstrate a proven track record of reliability, security, and efficient operations along with great standards of customer service. Thoroughly assessing vendor quality ensures that the chosen data center partner aligns with the organization’s standards and expectations. This lays a solid foundation for a successful and long-lasting partnership.