For IT departments focused on digital resource availability, there are only a few viable options: significant investments in redundancy, colocating IT equipment in a professional data center, or migrating to the cloud. Everyone agrees that data is the “new gold” or the “new oil”, but without a solid digital infrastructure, it remains an untapped resource.
That’s why choosing the right infrastructure for hosting and managing this data becomes a strategic decision. Colocation – meaning hosting IT equipment in a data center operated by a specialized provider such as M247 – is one of the most popular solutions. If in the past there was a saying, “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM” – IBM being a symbol of reliability – we can now confidently say: no one ever got fired for moving their equipment to M247. But is colocation still the right solution now that IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) cloud offerings are mature and high performing?
Cloud services offer the same high availability, with SLAs guaranteeing up to 99.99% uptime (Tier III level), significantly reducing the risk of unplanned downtime and eliminating the need for in-house investments in redundant infrastructure: power (generators and UPS), cooling systems, multiple network connections, etc. Moreover, it eliminates the inherent challenges of collocation: substantial investments in hardware, transporting and installing equipment, licensing, and hiring technical staff for management. Additionally, scaling is slow and expensive, with each expansion requiring the purchase, installation, and configuration of new equipment.
We don’t aim to undermine colocation, but to show that sometimes there are simpler or more advantageous options. Why rent just space in a Data Center when you can rent computing power directly?
Traditional IT vs. IT as a Service
Any discussion about cloud migration naturally raises the question: who manages what, and how are responsibilities split between traditional IT infrastructure (on-premises or colocation) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) models? Understanding these differences is essential when evaluating your IT strategy, associated costs, and desired scalability.
In a colocation scenario, a company’s IT equipment is hosted in a professional data center, such as one operated by M247 Global, but the responsibility for managing the infrastructure largely remains with the client.
The client is responsible for:
- Servers: purchase, installation, rack mounting, maintenance
- Storage: SAN/NAS systems, backups, and redundancy solutions
- Virtualization: installing and configuring hypervisors (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V)
- Operating system and middleware: updates, licensing, and maintenance
- Applications and data: development, maintenance, monitoring
The colocation provider ensures:
- Physical infrastructure: redundant power, cooling, physical security, connectivity
- Guaranteed uptime: via SLAs (e.g., 99.99% for Tier III data centers)
- Rack space, controlled access, and basic technical support
Colocation offers maximum control and a high degree of customization, but it involves high upfront costs (CapEx), longer implementation times, and requires skilled technical staff.
In the IaaS model, the physical infrastructure is entirely managed by the cloud service provider. The client no longer needs to invest in hardware or handle physical maintenance.
An IaaS provider like M247 Global manages:
- Virtual networking: VPCs, firewalls, load balancers
- Virtual servers and auto-scaling
- Storage: block/object storage, snapshots, replication
- Built-in availability and redundancy
The client manages:
- Operating systems
- Applications and data
- Middleware and application-specific runtimes
IaaS enables an OpEx approach (pay-as-you-go), fast resource provisioning, click-and-go scalability, and a significant reduction in the time and effort required for maintenance.
Moreover, M247’s offering is enhanced with cybersecurity solutions and automated services such as performance monitoring tools, auto-scaling based on traffic, load balancing to prevent server overloads, regular backups, and disaster recovery.
IT as a Service – What Are the Gains?
Here are some key advantages that make the difference:
Lower Costs and Flexible Scalability
The IaaS model eliminates upfront expenses and the cost of maintaining hardware. Companies only pay for the resources they use, allowing a shift from a CapEx to an OpEx model with clearer, more predictable budgets. Resources can be scaled quickly, avoiding over- or under-provisioning and optimizing expenses.
Faster Deployment Times
IaaS enables the rapid configuration of a virtual IT infrastructure — within hours — using preconfigured VMs. This speeds up the launch of applications, even with a limited budget, avoiding delays from traditional hardware procurement and setup.
Optimized Security and Support
Disaster recovery becomes easier to manage, and infrastructure access is available anytime, anywhere. IaaS providers offer advanced security through expert teams and measures such as automatic patching, firewalls, encryption, VPNs, and IAM solutions.
Reliability and Redundancy
Cloud providers operate global data centers connected by fast, redundant networks. These ensure continuous access and automate error handling to prevent service interruptions. Clear SLAs guarantee high availability, and failover solutions ensure service continuity.
Regulatory Compliance
IaaS services comply with international standards (e.g., GDPR, ISO 27001) and offer tools for monitoring, auditing, and reporting — helping companies meet legal obligations and handle compliance checks more easily.
IaaS Checklist – Find Out If This Is the Right Cloud Migration Model for You
IaaS is a compelling alternative to colocation for companies experiencing any of the following:
- Distributed operations with access to digital resources from multiple locations
- Rapid business growth exceeding current IT infrastructure capacity
- Applications or services with seasonal or highly variable usage
- Underutilization of existing infrastructure resources
- Large volumes of data exceeding local (on-premises) storage capacity
- Application performance affected by lack of available resources
Infrequent or delayed upgrades/replacement of IT hardware (servers, storage, networking) - High maintenance and administration costs for physical infrastructure
- Limited or no budget for hardware investments
- Need for fast and flexible infrastructure scalability
- No dedicated in-house IT team to manage and maintain hardware
- Need to outsource tasks like installation, configuration, maintenance, and infrastructure upgrades
M247 – A Global Business Partner
M247 offers services tailored to the needs of any company — whether it’s public, private, hybrid cloud, or colocation. Through M247, you gain access to a global network with 55+ Points of Presence, ensuring your digital services reach clients worldwide with minimal latency, backed by 24/7/365 support.
The M247 team is ready to provide tailored consultancy, cloud migration, and optimization services to meet your business needs. Contact us at sales@m247.eu
