Backup systems are essential in any type of company.

From multinationals to small businesses, protecting data and ensuring that they are securely archived is increasingly important to ensure business continuity.

Essentially, a backup data centre is nothing more than the modern version of a paper archive. As such, it’s very important to carefully evaluate where to place it, whether in a proprietary infrastructure or renting storage from a provider that offers outsourcing services.

In addition to the physical risks associated with the data centre location, technological, economic and socio-political factors must also be taken into consideration.

Lastly, if you are looking for an outsourcing partner, the safety and quality of the service are dependent on the supplier company.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, let's look at it in a more organised manner. Here are the main factors to consider when choosing the location for your data centre.

1. The costs in each country

First of all, not all countries are equal in terms of costs.

While moving towards non-European countries or developing countries increases your chances of finding lower labour costs or cheaper renting or purchasing costs, in the end, those who spend more, in reality spend much less.

The data centre is a critical infrastructure for your business. The risk of damage through data loss or interruption of business activities just to save a little money, in the end, may not be worth it. It’s therefore important to find the right balance between competitiveness and performance.

That said, there is obviously nothing wrong with choosing locations with lower costs of electricity or IT infrastructure. Even a lower tax burden can provide a significant advantage.

To summarize, the main costs to be taken into consideration are energy, real estate (or consequently, space rental), personnel, technological tools, and fiscal pressures.

2. Political stability

Another factor that leads to the selection of advanced countries to host data centres is political stability.

The following are the “plus points” to look for in a country that will allow you to better protect your data and reduce the likelihood of having to suddenly transfer your data centre location:

• Democratic environment
• A functioning government
• Existence of privacy legislation
• Low incidence of crime
• Efficient judicial system

A country that, as a whole, "functions" will also have an inclusive and competitive higher education system. This enables a more qualified workforce, making it easier to find resources with specialized skills in the field of information technology.

3. Connectivity

It’s true, technology is spreading fast even in less developed nations. However, significant gaps still remain, especially when we look at the level of connectivity in those countries compared to developed nations.

When talking about data centres, connectivity is the lifeblood of its system operation. When choosing a host for your infrastructure, one of the selection criteria should, therefore, be the level of innovation and the reliability of the telecommunications networks, and most of all, the availability of fast internet.

4. Supplier reliability

In addition to the location itself, you’ll also need to closely scrutinise the outsourcing service provider company.

It’s important that they’re backed by long experience and that it intends to continue its business in the long term. At the same time, you should also guard against companies that are too anchored in the past and are not agile or innovative enough.

The digital world evolves quickly, and your provider will have to behave accordingly. This will allow you to have frequently updated solutions and innovative services to improve the infrastructure performance of your company.

While you don’t have to become an expert in this field overnight, you’ll have to study the main characteristics of the data centres that the provider offers.

In conclusion

Having a backup data centre is now a necessity for any business that wants to keep current.

Choosing to outsource is a popular choice as it allows organisations to overcome traditional patterns of ownership of the physical infrastructure.

To ensure that everything goes smoothly, it’s important to pay attention to the geographical location of the provider. Remember that from an economic and legal standpoint, as well as from a connectivity and technology perspective, not all countries can offer the same benefits.

To reduce risks, it is preferable to stay in the circle of advanced countries, even at the price of having to pay higher fees for the service.