In our last blog post we wrote about the widespread enterprise adoption of all things SaaS, and the corresponding need for interconnected services inside data centers. Interconnection services are the physical connections that enable data exchange between two or more entities — or partners — at the fastest possible speed.

Given that colocation is fast becoming the de-facto destination for interconnection services, now is the time for multi-tenant data center (MTDC) operators to ramp up their offering in order to streamline migration across facilities as well as make it easier to access partner ecosystems. Following are three insights to incorporate into the decision-making process.

Interconnection services: What to consider

1. Interconnection services are win-win-win for colocation operators, cloud providers, and customers

Major cloud platform providers offer “on-ramps” (e.g., AWS Direct Connect or Azure Express Route, Google Cloud Router) to connect their networks to their customers’ networks, however most of these on-ramps are actually routed through colocation facilities in order to reach the largest number of customers.

Colocation providers can partner with the cloud providers to enable customers to establish private, low-latency network links to optimize performance of a hybrid IT environment. Customers benefit from reduced data transfer costs, improved security and optimal network performance along with the ability to connect to multiple cloud providers through a single interconnection point.

2. Visibility and control are key

Operators and customers need visibility and control in order to resolve problems before they occur. Intelligent, or networked, power distribution units are a new solution that provides real-time insight into power consumption, environment, and system integration. They help with uptime, capacity planning and cost reduction, and some, such as SmartZone^TM iPDUs from Panduit, also include digital sensors that provide physical security by detecting environmental and rack access.

3. Fiber cabling enables fast and reliable interconnection services connections

Supporting mission-critical physical infrastructures – and the complex workloads that come with interconnection services – requires reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity that only fiber cabling can deliver. Ready to learn more about these key interconnection services considerations? Then download our new ebook now.