Published 30 Oct 2023

5 Ways to Streamline IT Operations With the UK's Northern Connectivity Hub

By, Pulsant Experts
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The Edinburgh South Gyle colocation data centre is the largest and most connected in Scotland, and one of the most connected north of London. In fact, there are 27 carriers available at the centre — more than double the number that any of our other data centres have.

In fact, it’s so large and well-connected that we refer to it as the UK’s Northern Connectivity Hub.

But what does that mean for your business - and how can you benefit from the colocation services available?

In this blog post, we focus on five key ways you can take advantage.

1. Leverage high-speed connectivity

South Gyle offers a variety of high-speed connectivity options, including direct fibre, leased lines, and Ethernet. This can help businesses reduce latency and improve the performance of their IT applications. 

For example, a business that is running a cloud-based application can benefit from the South Gyle data centre’s high-speed connectivity. This is because the cloud-based application will be able to communicate with the business' servers and databases more quickly, resulting in improved performance. 

Crucially, the data centre is Edge-ready. Edge computing is a distributed approach to computing that brings processing and data storage capabilities closer to the location where they’re needed. So instead of hosting these resources in a distant data centre, a business uses an edge server or even user devices. 

By closing the gap between server and user, you can reduce latency – the time it takes for a data packet to travel from one place to another. And with no delay in data transmission and processing, it becomes much easier to improve application performance.

2. Access to advanced data centre facilities 

The Northern Connectivity Hub houses a number of advanced data centre facilities that offer a high level of security, redundancy, and reliability. This can help businesses protect their data and applications from downtime and outages. 

Let’s say you’re a business that is storing sensitive data; you could benefit from the data centre’s facilities because the data will be stored in a secure environment that is protected from unauthorised access.

South Gyle has multiple security considerations preventing unauthorised access, including:

  • Key card or fob required to access certain areas
  • Mantraps (interlocking doors that can’t be opened at the same time)
  • 24/7 security personnel
  • 24/7 CCTV
  • Biometric access for private cages

You’d also be able to ensure uninterrupted operations thanks to the redundant power supply available. This means there are multiple power sources, including backup generators and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems which protect against outages; if one supply goes down, a failover kicks in to prevent an outage. 

Finally, there are a number of features designed to ensure your business receives an uninterrupted and reliable service. These include:

  • Multiple network carriers and redundant network paths, mitigating the risk of network outages.
  • 24/7 monitoring from experienced technicians and engineers who address issues promptly to ensure maximum uptime.
  • Best in class security features to ensure maximum protection of your data.

3. Join an ecosystem of like-minded businesses

If the companies you are partnered with are also within the Pulsant ecosystem, you can easily make use of their services.

If your business is new to cloud computing, you may benefit from the collaboration opportunities provided by sharing data centre infrastructure with more experienced organisations. This is because the business can learn from other businesses that are already using cloud computing.

In partnering with the South Gyle data centre, you’ll also have access to trusted support and strategic advice from Pulsant’s experienced colocation specialists. With a rich history in supporting businesses to drive innovation and benefit from best-in-class infrastructure, our team stands ready to help you take advantage of these many opportunities.

4. Optimise cloud and hybrid solutions 

The Northern Connectivity Hub's high-speed connectivity can help businesses optimise their cloud and hybrid IT solutions. This can help businesses reduce costs and improve agility. 

For example, a business that is using a hybrid IT solution can benefit from the Northern Connectivity Hub's connectivity. This is because the business can easily move data between its on-premises servers and its cloud-based servers, resulting in several advantages: 

  • Reduced costs: High-speed connectivity can help reduce costs by avoiding the need to invest in your own data centre infrastructure and saving on bandwidth costs by being able to transfer data more efficiently.
  • Improved agility: The data centre’s high level of connectivity can help you to be more agile in your IT operations. This is because it can provide the flexibility to scale your resources up or down as needed. It can also help you to move data between on-premises and cloud resources more easily.
  • Increased bandwidth: High-speed connectivity can also increase bandwidth, which is the amount of data that can be transferred between two points in a given amount of time. This can be important for businesses that need to transfer large amounts of data, such as video streaming or file sharing.

5. Enhance disaster recovery and business continuity 

The Northern Connectivity Hub can help businesses enhance their disaster recovery and business continuity plans. This can help businesses protect their data and applications from unforeseen events. 

For example, a business that is located in an area that is prone to natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, etc.) can benefit from the Hub's disaster recovery and business continuity solutions. This is because the business can have its data and applications replicated in a remote location.

By partnering with the South Gyle data centre, your organisation will benefit from Pulsant’s business continuity, disaster recovery, backup and workplace recovery solutions — all designed to ensure your business remains resilient, your data is always available and your critical systems are not at risk.

Take advantage of the Northern Connectivity Hub

The Northern Connectivity Hub at our South Gyle data centre is a valuable resource for businesses that are looking to streamline their IT operations.

By leveraging the Hub's high-speed connectivity, access to advanced data centre facilities, collaboration opportunities, and disaster recovery and business continuity solutions, businesses can improve the performance, security, and resilience of their IT infrastructure.

Looking to reach the edge with colocated IT infrastructure? Look no further than Pulsant’s South Gyle data centre.

Contact us today to find out more and learn how your business can benefit.