What is a Hyperscaler?

If you own, or are part of a large or expanding company, having sufficient data processing, storing, and transferring capabilities is likely a challenge you face. To ensure you can fulfil your business goals and compete in an ever changing market, you may consider using colocation services, or even a hyperscaler.

If you’re swaying towards using the latter, you need to learn the ins and outs of hyperscalers to make an informed decision. Fortunately, our blog takes a deep dive into everything hyperscaler-related. Read on to find out exactly what is a hyperscaler, why companies use them, and what to consider before using one yourself.

Hyperscalers are large-scale data centres that offer vast amounts of resources and storage in terms of computing.

Large enterprises will use them to ensure they can meet their business goals, for example, running a website where people can buy their products. The hyperscaler hosts the website, monitoring and maintaining it, which leaves time for the business to focus on its own objectives.

Hyperscalers use independent software businesses and other companies that deal with computing and storage to serve its millions of users. For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the largest hyperscaler cloud provider in the world. AWS offers the services of small and large computer businesses to support its users in need of data processing solutions.

Who are the top five hyperscalers?

The top five hyperscalers unsurprisingly sit under the biggest names in the tech industry, including:

These tech giants not only offer services to their customers, but they also run their own applications through their hyperscaler cloud. For example, Google uses GCP to host Gmail.

What’s more, all of these hyperscalers are planning to invest large amounts of money into the creation of more data centres – further supporting the popularity and demand for data centres for decades to come.

Why do companies use hyperscalers?

There are three main reasons why companies use hyperscalers, especially if they are a large enterprise. For example, they can benefit from a hyperscaler’s:

Scalability

The main reason companies employ hyperscalers is because they can scale up with the business. If a business believes that it could double its customers, and therefore, operations in the next few years, with a hyperscaler, they can add the resources they need when they need them. As these resources are virtually unlimited, hyperscalers can meet the demands of a company’s rapid expansion.

Reliability

Hyperscalers are also incredibly reliable, thanks to the high level of cloud security they benefit from. This means businesses are less likely to encounter security risks as data protection is a high priority within a data centre. For example, hyperscalers will use encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection to reinforce this level of security. Hyperscalers are also highly available, meaning they have various data centres around the globe to support your business, no matter where it might be.

Flexibility

Another benefit of using a hyperscaler offers is that they offer more flexibility. As mentioned, hyperscalers can scale up alongside the demands of a business – and they can even be flexible when this demand is irregular. For example, if a business usually has seasonal periods of customer popularity, the business can utilise further resources from the hyperscaler, until demand has settled – such as by using temporary connectivity. Then, they can scale back. This flexibility means businesses don’t have to spend more than they need to on operational costs if their demand changes throughout the year.

What to consider when using a hyperscaler

Now you’ve decided you would like to utilise a hyperscaler data centre, make sure you consider the following first:

Geographical location and connectivity

Whilst hyperscalers operate all over the world, the location of one can adversely affect how well your applications and websites perform. High-speed, low latency, and network reach is essential to ensure your business is running as well as it can be.

With this in mind, make sure to pick a hyperscaler with close proximity to your target audience. If your customers are located in one country – choose a data centre in the same country.

Cooling capabilities

With more businesses using hyperscalers, it means that more servers, computers, and other IT hardware is being used within these centres. As such, they have certain cooling requirements to prevent harm to the environment, and damage to their own equipment.

When choosing a hyperscaler, ensure the facility you opt for has effective, modern cooling technologies in place. For example, they should use closed loop chillers, as well as air conditioning to keep the equipment at the required temperature.

Compliance with legal requirements

If you’re looking to use a hyperscaler, chances are that your business uses, stores and processes large amounts of data – whether it be from customers, clients or even stakeholders.

But, collecting such data means you have to follow certain legal standards, and if your data is being housed by a hyperscaler, you need to ensure that the facility is compliant with these laws. Ensure the provider you pick is aware of their duties under data protection laws such as GDPR, and has strict processes in place to ensure this data is managed appropriately.

Hyperscalers: FAQs

What is the difference between hyperscaler and cloud infrastructures?

Both hyperscaler and cloud infrastructures serve the purpose of helping businesses house massive amounts of data and IT infrastructure, but they have several differences. For example, hyperscalers typically use a multi-tenant platform – meaning they work with various amounts of businesses.

It allows these tenants to access its services based on their own business needs – and are available globally over the internet. Users can scale resources instantly, without having to purchase the necessary infrastructure.

Meanwhile, private cloud hosting is usually a single-tenant platform that relies on infrastructure the business has already purchased. Moreover, resources from cloud data centres are offered based on the needs and goals of a single organisation.

What is the difference between hyperscaler and colocation infrastructures?

The biggest and most notable difference between hyperscaler and colocation infrastructures is size. Hyperscaler data centres are typically 10,000 square feet or larger, so anything smaller than that is considered a colocation data centre.

But, they also differ based on the types of businesses that use them. Hyperscalers are ideal for large enterprises that need to store and process massive amounts of data.

Meanwhile, colocation services are suitable for smaller businesses that are looking for solutions that are flexible and can keep up with changing requirements.

Want to find out more about hyperscalers? Get in touch with M247 today

Now we’ve answered your most common questions regarding hyperscalers, you can make an informed decision about whether choosing one is the right move for your business.

Or, if reading this blog has made you consider a global colocation service – we can help with that. At M247, we own a global colocation service, with several locations across the globe. We provide our clients with 24/7 support, and are dedicated to solving any issues they might have – at any time of year.

To get started, all you need to do is contact us, and we’ll get to work straight away.

The post What is a Hyperscaler? – The Complete Guide appeared first on M247.

What is a Hyperscaler? – The Complete Guide