Uptime & reliability

100% Uptime Guarantee

Reliability is touted as Colo AZ’s strongest suit, and they appear to offer the infrastructure to back up their claims of 100% uptime.

Features

Great features for great hosting

Colo AZ’s web site offers strong statements regarding security, continuity and redundancy.  Based on their description, these features are well-earned.  With 17 hardlined providers, with a minimum fiber count of at least 96 strands each, a 24 megawatt generator, 20 megawatts of UPS service,  and diverse electric providers, Colo AZ has done their homework for offering a sound and reliable operations center that should let any customer be confident about their server’s status and protection.

No fewer than six bandwidth providers have been retained to provide multiple fail-over options, and “access to dozens more if required”.  IP transit and transport services are offered, as is network consulting and private network services.

Colo AZ states that due to their many fail-over options at all levels that they touch, many of their customers report higher availability than when they operated their own data centers.  While this is a bold statement, it makes a strong selling point for any organization looking to mitigate the many risks and liabilities of running their own physical operations.

Regarding physical security, Colo AZ states that guards are always on duty and multiple security features are in place. While not specifically listed, such measures as mantraps, biometrics and solid change management procedures would seem likely features.

As mentioned, VPS is not available, but dedicated servers appear to be high-end and offer more than respectable features, such as up to 32 GB of RAM, 5 TB of monthly bandwidth, and 4 x 1 TB hard drive are shown as standard packages, with the site stressing that many other options are available to tailor any concern.

Another feature that is strongly emphasized is that Colo AZ has plenty of room for growth, which adds another level of confidence to expanding companies.

Support

Little information about their hosting available

I couldn’t find a link to a customer portal, FAQ page, knowledgebase or any support information other than a phone number. However, it seems reasonable to expect that established customers would be given links to resources or have all their needs met by initiating requests over the phone.

Pricing

Not cheap, but you get what you pay for

With such high-end features as multiple power supplies, telecommunications providers and carefully controlled facilities, no one can expect prices to be at the rates offered by many of the discount providers.  The base dedicated server package starts at $99.99 per month, with $129.99 and $149.95 configurations available.  Although it isn’t listed as a service, backup services of any kind are not listed on the package prices.

Co-location is offered for one server rack space going for $79.99 per month, with a one-time set up fee of $79.99.  Customers needing more than one slot are directed to contact the company to discuss options that can best fit their requirements.

While the benefits of owning your own server may differ from company to company, leasing dedicated server space appears to be a great value when comparing purchase price, lifespan, depreciation, and other factors compared to letting Colo AZ purchase and maintain the equipment.

Summary

Great hosting option for just about anyone

Colo AZ would seem to be a sound choice for any company who needs data center services but doesn’t want to be in the business of operating their own facility.  The comfort of mitigating risk and leasing equipment could be a very practical and desirable solution for many professional or government organizations.

Pros:

• 100% uptime guarantee
• High end hardware

Cons:

• Not a cheap hosting provider
• No virtual or cloud services