How Important Is Data Center Location When Choosing a QuickBooks Hosting Provider?

What is most important to you while choosing a QuickBooks hosting provider? Is it all about the server specifications – RAM, storage, processor, etc.? Or are you more concerned about the security of your data?

These details are essential, but there is one detail often overlooked while deciding a QuickBooks hosting provider – location of the data center.

A data center is a facility that holds the cloud infrastructure in which your QuickBooks is hosted. Its location determines the quality of service it offers.

The location of the data center is of a lot more significance than people realize. By understanding how valuable it is while choosing your QuickBooks hosting provider, you’ll be able to make an informed decision.

The Basics

On paper, a data center can be built anywhere. However, its location is of considerable significance when making a practical solution.

• Ideal connectivity is a combination of multiple redundant connection fibers and bandwidth providers. To serve the needs of an enterprise-level data center and to deliver the desired volumes of bandwidth, there is a need to build connections with multiple network providers.
  When organizations are near these network providers, they receive low latency and better connectivity.
• Nevertheless, despite the bandwidth access of a data center, there’s one fact that cannot be ignored – data transfer takes time. Also, the data needs to go double the distance – one is request distance, and the other is response distance.
  It is of significance to any accounting firm as they need instant access to their QuickBooks solution.
  Data cannot travel in a straight line – it passes through multiple networks (which may add latency). Lower is the latency, and faster is the travel speed if the data center is close to the organization.
• The location of the data center also impacts the norms and regulations followed by your QuickBooks cloud hosting provider. The company will have to follow the country’s compliance laws, where it is registered, and where its data center is located.
  It would be best if the data center was located in the USA. Otherwise, there might arise a state where your business will suffer due to conflicting regulations.

Things to Keep in Mind While Choosing a Data Center Location

As explained above, the location of a data center is as important as other specifications. Let’s look at some crucial factors to consider while choosing a data center location:

1. Physical Security

Your QuickBooks cloud hosting provider’s data center location has to be in a region or neighborhood where there is no or less crime. Your provider should also ensure that the data center is physically guarded and that unauthorized personnel cannot access it.

2. Natural Disasters

Please avoid choosing an area prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, etc. A location that is likely to be affected by disasters may put your connectivity and data at risk. It would be best to avoid such areas unless there’s a unique advantage attached to it.

3. Connectivity 

If the data center of your QuickBooks hosting provider is located at a location with low connectivity, it can directly impact your accounting services when your primary network connectivity fails. Latency is another factor that cannot be ignored; choose a data center close to your organization.

4. Business Friendly Region

Before finalizing a data center, please ensure that it is located in a business-friendly region. For instance, if the data center is located in a politically unstable area, it could be damaged or affected by the individuals causing the problems. In some cases, the government may also disconnect the connectivity.

5. Energy Sources

Infrastructure redundancy is crucial while choosing the location of your data center. This means that it should have multiple alternatives to the necessary infrastructure to run the cloud hosting services, especially power sources. A data center should always have access to a secondary power source if the primary source fails.

6. Workforce

Managing a data center is no child’s play. Avoid choosing data centers that lack the employees and resources for its management. In case a problem arises, your business could be severely impacted.

7. Additional Equipment

Data centers use virtualization and automation to ensure that their services run smoothly by optimizing the output from the resources. However, it does not mean that it will never require any additional infrastructure. Your data center should be located in a region where additional equipment is readily available to solve the problem quickly (if one arises).

Conclusion

Please do not underestimate the importance of location when it comes to connectivity, latency, speed, and security. Selecting a data center at a suitable site offers some advantages, but it also means that you’ve protected your business from other risks down the road.

If you’re interested in hosting your QuickBooks Desktop solution in a safe and secure environment, our team can help. Please connect with our Solutions Consultant at 855-781-8934.