Data Center Build Vs. Buy

This white paper examines the rising urgency for organizations to modernize aging data centers that no longer meet the demands of today’s IT landscape, including cloud computing, big data, mobility, and compliance. It presents a strategic comparison between building new data center facilities and outsourcing to colocation providers, highlighting the challenges of legacy infrastructure such as inefficiency, limited scalability, and high operational costs. The paper argues that while building offers control, colocation increasingly provides a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution that aligns with today’s rapid deployment needs and tighter budgets.

With more than half of North America’s data center footprint now outsourced, the shift toward colocation is driven by benefits like lower costs, faster deployment, improved uptime, and stronger compliance support. The paper outlines ten scenarios where colocation is particularly advantageous, from supporting data growth to addressing security and disaster recovery requirements. Download the white paper to explore which data center strategy—build, buy, or hybrid—best positions your organization for agility, resilience, and long-term success.