7 Points To Check When Choosing A Los Angeles Data Center

Los Angeles is best known for its film industry but the city actually has a very diverse economy. In fact, it’s one of the largest economic metropolitan areas in the world. This means that there can be many advantages to having a Los Angeles data center. With that in mind, here are some 7 pointers to check when you are choosing one.

The location of the Los Angeles data center

The importance of location mainly depends on two factors. These are your infrastructure and labor. For practical purposes, infrastructure really means network connectivity. If a Los Angeles data center is located near a network hub, it can usually offer a particularly high standard of network connectivity. This will, however, be reflected in the price.

The extent to which labor is an issue depends on the extent to which you intend to use your own staff. If you intend to outsource all hands-on tasks to a third-party vendor then they will take responsibility for making their way to the location. With that said, travel time will be factored into their price.

If, however, you intend to use your own staff, then using a Los Angeles data center near your operational base can make your life a lot easier. This applies in most cities but is particularly relevant to Los Angeles as it is notorious for its traffic issues.

Security and compliance

Thoroughly assess the security and compliance measures implemented by a Los Angeles data center vendor. Make sure you fully understand their data center security protocols, especially the foundational aspects of them such as surveillance, access controls, and threat detection mechanisms.

Check what data security frameworks and standards the vendor supports. Even if you are not required to support them, the fact that a vendor can support them is a very reassuring signal.

It’s also advisable to check a potential Los Angeles data center vendor’s financial health. A financially stable data center vendor is more likely to have the means to invest in regularly updating its security infrastructure. This means it offers the highest level of protection against new and emerging threats.

A financially stable data center vendor is also more likely to provide consistent services over the long term. This means that they are highly unlikely to leave you in the lurch, scrambling to ensure your data is protected while you find an alternative provider.

Reliability

There are three factors you can evaluate to check a Los Angeles data center vendor’s reliability. These are their uptime guarantee, their tier rating, and their historical performance.

The uptime guarantee is the vendor’s guaranteed level of service. These days, some data center vendors will offer a 100% uptime guarantee. At a minimum, a data center vendor should be in the very high 90s.

Their uptime guarantee should be reflected in their tier rating. Tier ratings are awarded by the Uptime Institute and are based on measurements that indicate reliability. Lower tier ratings indicate lower levels of reliability. They are therefore expected of data center vendors that have lower uptime guarantees (and vice versa).

The last factor to check is a vendor’s historical performance. This essentially demonstrates whether or not a vendor’s actual uptime matches their stated uptime guarantee.

Deployment efficiency

Efficient deployment is crucial for meeting immediate business needs and adapting to future requirements. This means it should be given a high priority when choosing a data center vendor in Los Angeles.

Assess the vendor’s ability to communicate clear deployment timelines, ensuring that your business’s new space is established promptly and efficiently. Determine how quickly the vendor can fulfill requests for new cross-connects or additional rack space, as this directly impacts the agility and responsiveness of your operations.

Network ecosystem

Evaluate the network ecosystem offered by a Los Angeles data center vendor, focusing on interconnection opportunities within the facility. Assess whether the data center is carrier-neutral, providing flexibility in choosing network service providers. Explore the availability of multicloud connectivity options, as this can enhance your business’s ability to integrate seamlessly with various cloud services.

Cost analysis and budget alignment

When choosing a Los Angeles data center vendor, it’s crucial to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis and align your budget with organizational goals. Evaluate both upfront costs and ongoing operational expenses to ensure transparency in expenditure.

Aligning the budget with organizational goals and objectives is essential for a sustainable and cost-efficient partnership with the data center vendor. This approach ensures that your investment not only meets current needs but also provides flexibility for future growth without compromising financial stability.

Flexibility and scalability

Different Los Angeles data center providers present varying levels of flexibility. Some may provide out-of-the-box solutions, while others offer tailored options in addition to standard services.

Likewise, they have different expansion capabilities. Make sure that any data center vendor you seriously consider is able to support your future growth. This will enable you to maximize the length of the partnership and hence minimize disruptions to your operations.