Questions and answers on services and solutions for colocation data centers

Very many companies in Germany are now turning to colocation solutions and demand is increasing. According to the German information and telecommunications industry association, more than 10,000 companies are already using colocation services. According to Bitkom, colocation facilities will account for an impressive 50 percent of data center capacities by 2025.

Colocation service providers want to create ideal conditions that optimize IT outsourcing for their customers. This means that they face a whole range of challenges in the fields of cabling, services and IT security. In the live webtalk “What does a colocation provider need in order to win over the customer?”, Rosenberger OSI presents the right solutions to bring greater flexibility, service quality and IT security.

• Savings in costs plus reduced space requirements through scalable cabling
• Providing services for trouble-free, flexible colocation operation
• Successful, problem-free relocation to a colocation data center
• What the KRITIS regulation means for colocation service providers in practice

Now also available for consultation as a Webinar on Demand.

You can find a selection of the topics addressed and important questions and answers in the blog article.

Scalability is very important for colocation providers - particularly when dealing with cage and suite customers. These customers often only need incremental increases in their bandwidth and fiber channel count, meaning that their operating costs simply grow in step with their current requirements. Learn more about modular cabling solutions that address some of these challenges. To the webinar

FAQs on the subject:

How long does it take to mount a splice module in a Rosenberger panel yourself?
You can do that very quickly yourself. There are two ways of splicing: Single-fiber splicing and ribbon splicing. And the modules themselves can be mounted directly on the panel using splice rivets.

How long are the current delivery times for preassembled trunks from Rosenberger OSI?
Generally, our delivery times are between two and four weeks. Because our factory is in Europe, and more precisely in Hungary, we can react quite quickly.

Colocation – this is a field where customers want a high service level and want it 24/7. That is to say an operational Support Service that is available round the clock for administration, installation and troubleshooting activities in data centers. The challenges for colocation providers in this field are: adherence to Service Level Agreements, overcoming personnel bottlenecks and the shortage of skilled staff. That is why entrusting an external provider with these tasks can be an optimum solution for colocators. You can see in the webinar with which services Rosenberger OSI can offer added value for colocation customers.

FAQs on the subject:

For the link between the meet-me room and the cage, does Rosenberger OSI only offer preassembled trunk cabling or do you also do splicing?
Yes, of course, the traditional way of going about things is to splice. Just as you can see people doing everywhere today. Of course, splicing has some advantages, but there are also disadvantages in terms of the time required. We offer both solutions. In general, we tend to focus on preassembled solutions, not least because of the time savings they offer. However, if the customer prefers, we can also splice.

In what countries/regions does Rosenberger OSI offer colocation services?
Rosenberger OSI has its head office in Augsburg and is active throughout Germany with 120 Service employees. It is also active in certain selected European countries such as France, Italy, Poland or Hungary. Depending on where our customers need or want support, we are also open to the idea of offering a service in other countries.

When the decision for a colocation solution has been taken then it is also (often) necessary to relocate IT infrastructure to the data center. Depending on the scope of the relocation, this can be a challenging task. It is necessary to observe a number of factors in order to ensure trouble-free implementation. The aim is to make sure that everything becomes operational again as quickly and reliably as possible. However, in practice, things turn out to be anything but straightforward due to the immense deadline pressures. The webinar provides an insight into the stumbling blocks that can await you when moving your data centre and how to avoid pitfalls.

FAQs on the subject:

A data center relocation involves many different tasks. What things do customers often underestimate?
The first step is actually the most important and makes all the following steps possible. First of all, it is necessary to take stock of the CURRENT situation. If you ask the customer for documentation of the current situation then what you normally get is confirmation that this documentation exists. However, when you go in to take a look, you often find that the cabling is growing old, that cables are missing or are not labelled etc.

What tools, instruments or methods do you use for your transformation planning?
Basically, everything that the customer uses and makes available to us. Otherwise, we are able to make some available ourselves. The starting point is always an Excel list that can also be imported by the tools.

The challenge of IT security is anything but a new one for colocation providers. However, the continuous emergence of new threat scenarios in recent times has made it more urgent than ever. Legislators are continuously reviewing the guidelines and drawing up new regulations. Today, we especially want to shed some light on the question of the KRITIS regulations. What qualitative and quantitative categories do colocators need to comply with? What requirements actually apply to a typical security architecture in a KRITIS-compliant DC? Find out what KRITIS means for colocation providers and planners in the webinar.

FAQs on the subject:

What industry expertise does Rosenberger OSI have in the field of B3S?
With regard to the B3S catalogue - in terms of preparation, certification and auditing - we possess particularly broad-based experience and industry expertise in the health and finance sectors. But of course, we also support customers from other industries. This is because our customers, just like your customers, are active in many very different markets.

Rosenberger OSI analyses the customer environment with regard to KRITIS applicability. In this context, do you offer further support for colocation providers through as far as BSI certification?
BSI certification is almost right. If you are an energy company, then you must also consider yourself to have obligations vis-à-vis the Federal Network Agency. This means that there is more than one dimension to KRITIS certification. Whatever the case, we will support and advise you in reaching the pre-audit situation. For the certification itself, it will be necessary to call on the services of one of our accredited partner companies.