San Diego is home to some of the largest tech companies, including Qualcomm, Kyocera International, ServiceNow, Viasat, Teradata, and Dexcom. So why is San Diego home to these technology companies? To start, San Diego has a close geographic relationship to other leading tech companies in surrounding cities, as well as regional access to fiber.
With such an impressive roster of tech companies in the region, San Diego data centers and colocation hosting services are also a popular choice due to the city’s agreeable year-round weather conditions and ample access to power and tech talent.
If you’re looking for colocation services in Southern California, and want to know why you should choose a provider like M5 Hosting, take a look at the following checklist to get a better understanding of why San Diego is the ideal location to host your servers and why M5 Hosting is a leading hosting service provider partner.
San Diego Colocation Services Checklist
Below are the seven key factors to consider before you choose a San Diego colocation services provider:
1. Network Connectivity and Geographical Advantage – Access to Surrounding Thriving Cities
A San Diego colocation facility should offer access to surrounding cities that provide additional support to help your organization thrive and prosper.
San Diego’s located on the West Coast offers quick connections to Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, San Jose, and San Francisco, where other leading tech companies and talent reside. One thing they all have in common is California’s fiber infrastructure and redundant network paths to avoid single points of failure. CBRE Research’s Investing in the Future: Fiber Infrastructure is Critical for a Digital World highlights the state’s strong fiber backbone.
M5 Hosting’s proximity to major internet exchange points in San Diego improves data transfer speeds for time-sensitive workloads and lower latency.
2. Green Initiatives and Sustainability – California Leads in Renewable Energ
A San Diego colocation facility should be considered green and sustainable to help the environment, especially when it comes to running machines (colocated servers) and using power to keep your organization up and running.
Many businesses in San Diego are looking for green data center operations as part of their environmental commitments. California, including San Diego, has strict energy-efficient and sustainability regulations, requiring facilities to have certified cooling systems.
M5 Hosting operates out of two San Diego colocation facilities, located only 13 miles apart, the San Diego Tech Center and Lightwave Avenue. Both colocation facilities have SSAE 16 SOC 1, 2, and 3 Type 2 certifications, which helps with operational efficiency and cost to keep colocated servers running cooler for maximum uptime.
3. Seismic Stability – Earthquake and Natural Weather and Environment Preparedness
A San Diego colocation facility should be well prepared to handle earthquakes and should be built with structural resilience and disaster preparedness in mind.
Natural disasters can happen anywhere, but when your data center is built to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters, it’s even more reliable and offers greater protection of your hardware and data.
M5 Hosting’s facility is built with earthquake-resistant designs and materials, adheres to local seismic building codes and standards, and offers redundancy in power, cooling, and data systems to maintain operations in the event of an earthquake.
4. Proximity to Key Infrastructure – Located Near Major Transportation and Business Hubs
A San Diego colocation facility should be located near a major airport, transportation routes, highways, and other technology and business hubs.
M5 Hosting’s San Diego colocation facilities are located near major San Diego highways such as I-5, I-15, and I-805, depending on the facility you choose, for faster, easier access to your equipment and colocated servers, and surrounding businesses. The facility is less than thirty minutes from the San Diego International Airport.
5. Local Climate Considerations – Mild Year-round Temperatures for Free Cooling
A San Diego colocation facility should offer reliable weather for year-round temperatures.
San Diego’s temperate climate, characterized by mild temperatures and low humidity, offers natural advantages for data center cooling. According to the National Weather Service, the region experiences relatively stable and moderate weather patterns throughout the year.
M5 Hosting’s two San Diego Colocation facilities, both have a full data-grade N+1 HVAC system so that ambient air temperatures remain below 72°F with controlled humidity levels.
6. Local Network Ecosystem – San Diego Tech Community
A San Diego colocation service provider should have access to a thriving local ecosystem of talent and tech startups.
San Diego’s tech community, supported by groups like San Diego Tech Hub (SDTH), invites opportunities for collaboration and networking for organizations to build authentic relationships among professionals across various tech disciplines. In addition to SDTH, organizations like Startup San Diego play a pivotal role in supporting local entrepreneurs and startups by connecting founders to resources, networks, and support institutions.
7. Reputation and References – Favorable Testimonials and Industry Accolades
A San Diego colocation service provider should have reputable feedback and ample proof of their reliability and services.
A colocation service provider’s reputation and references should speak highly of the company’s ability to offer reliable, quality hosting services. “M5 Hosting is by far the best of the bunch,” says M5 Hosting customer Neil Schemenauer of Delta-X Research.
A San Diego colocation provider’s Better Business Bureau rating should also reflect the company’s commitment to providing reliable services. M5 Hosting has earned an A+ from the Better Business Bureau, reflecting the provider’s standing in San Diego.
Next Steps in Choosing Your San Diego Colocation Service Provider
We’ve listed seven key factors on our San Diego colocation checklist that should help you understand what to look for when choosing a colocation partner in Southern California. Many organizations in Southern California consider San Diego to be a balanced location due to its moderate climate, strong fiber infrastructure, and supportive tech community.
Additionally, M5 Hosting’s local utility partnerships, seismic readiness, and sustainability policies can help improve your colocation experience for years to come. M5 Hosting’s San Diego colocation facilities, the San Diego Tech Center and Lightwave Avenue, offer power redundancy, security, network connectivity, and flexible growth, everything you need to succeed with your colocation hosting services. Read more on M5 Hosting’s San Diego colocation services.
