365 Data Centers is now offering “micro-colocation” to smaller customers, who only need a few rack units of data center space, thanks to a deal with network services provider Mod Mission Critical.

The Mod service, called Colo by the ‘U’, lets customers buy space starting from a single rack unit – approximately 1.75 inches of vertical cabinet space - with UPS-backed power, the option of single or multiple power circuits up to 30A, which can be implemented quickly and comes with uptime assurance, and bought from a single provider, says Mod.  

Colo by the 'U'
Colo by the ‘U’ – MOD

Options for little guys

In the traditional colocation buy, the customer is purchasing anywhere from a half-rack to entire data halls of space from the colocation provider. With a standard data center rack being 42U in height colocation vendors don’t really look forward to the small SMB customer who only wants to colo a server or two. Security and management are a much bigger issue when a rack contains equipment from multiple customers, and most facility providers aren’t equipped to deal with, or frankly very interested in, customers who are only looking for a few U worth of space.

But that’s exactly the market that Mod Mission Critical targets with its “Colo by the ‘U’ “ product that 365 Data Centers is now offering at all of its US data centers. Focusing on customers who would otherwise have to pay for space they don’t currently need or who would not consider colocation because of their small requirements for space, this micro-colocation product allows customers to buy as little as a single U of rack space in the colo facility.

Keao Caindec, Chief Commercial Officer, 365 Data Centers, points out that it may not just be small SMBs that want to just try out a few U of colocation space, telling us that “Many of our clients looking for micro-colocation opportunities are simply getting their feet wet in the colocation world, creating the possibility for future expansion to larger deployments.”

And like the dynamic capacity offered by most cloud and virtual service providers, this micro service offers scalability on demand, along with a selection of managed services for the network side of the equation. 365 Data Centers is making the “Colo by the ‘U’” service available now, with the first two customers signed up in their Chicago data center.