As we spend more of our lives online and in the digital age, the exchange of information becomes increasingly necessary to keep businesses running. This digital exchange requires massive computers and networking equipment which are located in the central physical location known as the datacenter.

A data center is a computer room that houses storage and computing equipment for an organization or a business. The essential components of a data center comprise servers that provide the processing power to turn raw data into usable information, and storage devices which hold the data on a robotic tape or hard-disk Data room benefits that simplify your business drives. Data centers also rely on communication and networking equipment such as routers, switches and miles of cables to facilitate the flow of data between servers.

The term “data center” was first used in the late 1990s when IT operations grew, and low-cost networking equipment made it possible for businesses to house all their networking equipment in a centralized space. Nowadays, businesses can opt to construct their own data centres on their own premises, or work with third-party data center service providers which offer cloud, managed and colocation services. The third-party options typically provide an energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative to data centers that are on-premises.

Many of these third-party solutions also allow greater flexibility for policy management. A data center, for instance, can offer multiple policy environments from one location. This allows IT to manage data workloads by creating distinct policies that satisfy the requirements for compliance across different geographies and companies. This can reduce security risks and improve information governance.