A Colocation Data Center, also known as a carrier hotel, refers to a data center that provides colocation services. These colo sites are secure physical facilities where data communications media converge and are interconnected.

In a colocation data center, or single carrier hotel, a number of service providers share the facilities. These centers are generally quite sizable, often containing more than 54,000 square feet of floor space.

Colocation data centers are most commonly used by web hosting companies, storage service providers and telecommunications companies. Thanks to the shared data center infrastructure, large providers like these can realize considerable cost savings while enjoying the elevated level of physical security that the best data centers provide.

Most colocation data centers include:

• Fire protection systems
• 19-inch racks for data equipment and servers
• 23-inch racks for telecommunications equipment
• Cabinets and cages for physical access control over tenants’ equipment
• Overhead cable rack (tray) and Fiberguide
• Power cables usually kept on a separate rack from data
• Air conditioning to control indoor temperature and humidity
• Low-impedance electrical ground