kolocation

Kolocation, also spelled colocation, is a data center service in which a business places its own server hardware in a third‑party facility. The provider furnishes physical space, power, cooling, network connectivity, safety, and infrastructure redundancy, while the customer remains responsible for the hardware and software running on it.

Equipment is typically installed in rented space such as rack units, cabinets, or private cages. Customers supply and maintain servers, storage, and networking gear; the data center operator handles facility operations and may offer managed cabling and cross‑connects to carriers and cloud providers.

Colocation differs from managed hosting or cloud services in that the customer retains ownership and control of the equipment and is responsible for its maintenance, software updates, and security, while the facility provides the reliable infrastructure and connectivity.

Costs are based on space (rack, cabinet, cage), power consumption, bandwidth, and any value‑add services such as remote hands, monitoring, or compliance support. Colocation is commonly used by enterprises, managed service providers, and high‑traffic applications that require control, data locality, or proximity to users.

Choosing a provider involves evaluating location, network connectivity (carriers and Internet exchanges), power density, redundancy (N+1 or higher), security, compliance certifications, and service levels. Data centers may offer ISO or SOC certifications, PCI DSS readiness, and green energy options.