When deciding where to put your data infrastructure, it’s hard to beat the Western US. Several factors are involved in determining why this area is such a good place for data center colocation, and each of these factors will be listed below as the metro areas are considered.
Denver is a popular place for data center colocation. The pros are that you have great connectivity and a great climate for high efficiency data center cooling. The cons are that you have a threat of tornadoes and severe storms and flooding. Accessibility is good with the Denver airport but power costs aren’t the lowest in the area.
Salt Lake City is the most ideal location due to the best of all factors. It’s a very low power cost region, with a very low disaster risk profile, great free-air cooling climate, on the crossroads of fiber running to the major cities on the West coast, has a favorable pro-business government, is #1 for on-time arrivals and is a technology hotbed. There aren’t many cons for Utah, mostly personal preference at that point.
Las Vegas is a popular place for data center colocation. Lots of companies like to put their servers there because of the disaster safe geography, and the local adult entertainment. Las Vegas is within 6 hours driving distance of LA, so you get a lot of California companies using Las Vegas as their primary or secondary site. The cons are the desert climate that can’t take advantage of the outside air for low PUE free air cooling for more than six to eight months of the year, and the high cost of power. Also, if adult entertainment isn’t interesting to you, then you may tire of always traveling to Las Vegas.
Phoenix is a great place for data center colocation. Like Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, it’s almost entirely disaster safe. There is great accessibility to Phoenix with its airport, and also being a few hours drive out of Los Angeles. Lots of companies in LA host their primary or secondary site in Phoenix. Often companies will host in Phoenix and have their backup location in Denver. The cons to Phoenix are the same as Las Vegas, minus the adult entertainment. It’s hot in Phoenix and there isn’t as many free-air cooling months of the year as Salt Lake City or Denver. Arizona’s power costs are also higher than Utah’s.
So if you’re looking for the best data center colocation in the Western US, you should consider Salt Lake City for its all around value. And if you like to ski, well then you’ll be right at home in the mountains.
