When you’re comparing cloud hosting providers, you want to make an informed decision. Whether it’s the uptime, encryption level or support on offer, there are a range of factors to consider. One such factor is the cloud hosting location. But why exactly does it matter? Read on as we discuss the importance of cloud hosting location.
What is a cloud hosting location?
First things first, what does cloud hosting location refer to? In short, it’s the location of the servers or data centres which are used to store your data. While ‘the cloud’ suggests there are no servers at all, it simply means they are located remotely and accessed through the internet.
So, you don’t need a physical server. Instead, you have a virtual server environment set up and run through remote data centres.
Why does location matter?
The physical data centres hosting your virtual server are at the very heart of your cloud computing experience. That’s why their location matters so much. Here are just some of the factors to consider:
Compliance
Firstly, you should consider whether the location of cloud hosting servers affects compliance. Cloud computing providers are in charge of masses of data, which needs to be handled securely to avoid any leaks and stay compliant to relevant rules and regulations.
For GDPR purposes, this is essential both for the provider themselves and your company. With that in mind, it’s important to choose a provider whose cloud hosting locations are governed by the same rules as your business – or one who states explicitly that they adhere to those rules. So, UK businesses will ideally have data stored in a location which is governed by GDPR.
Performance
Another issue with cloud hosting location is the performance of the servers. Data which is being sent and received over longer distances will naturally take a bit longer. This is known as latency. However, with more advanced modern networks, the differences in latency have been reduced to a few milliseconds, so they don’t affect most businesses.
That said, some sectors like finance and trading will find that those few milliseconds make a big difference. It’s worth considering the immediacy of your industry when comparing cloud computing providers and hosting locations.
Backup
The final consideration is concerned with the number of cloud hosing locations used by a provider. If data is stored in just one data centre, it’s much more vulnerable. Imagine that data centre suffers an outage, you wouldn’t be able to access your data, which could even be permanently lost.
Ideally, you want your virtual server to be replicated across several locations, so it is always backed up in case of an outage.
Don’t take any risks
Your cloud hosting location, or that of your provider, is crucial to delivering the right cloud computing environment for your company. At Green Cloud Hosting, we replicate virtual server environments across 3 UK ISO-accredited data centres to ensure your data is completely secure and always backed up.
If you want to talk more about our cloud hosting services, please don’t hesitate to contact our team online.
