In June 2009, multiple tornadoes dotted the region and knocked the power out for more than seven hours. Colocation providers in Austin needed to rely on backup generators until the local utility came back online. Going without utility power for seven hours can put a tremendous amount of strain on colocation providers and introduces significant risk to businesses looking for reliable colocation.
According to Texas A&M University, climate change will play an even greater role in severe weather conditions. "It's going to get worse," said Jennifer Irish, an assistant professor of Coastal and Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M in College Station. This does not bode well for businesses considering colocation in Austin.
In addition to the threat of tornadoes, colocation providers in Austin pay some of the highest energy prices in the West. At more than $.10 per kilowatt hour, the cost of electricity should be a factor for businesses that need high availability for their IT operations. Austin colocation providers derive more than 85% of their energy from non-renewable sources such as coal and gas. With heavy taxation and regulation looming in Congress, businesses in Austin could pay more for power than they do now.
IO designs, engineers and delivers highly reliable data center services located in geographic areas that are unaffected by catastrophes like tornadoes. IO's data centers are engineered for energy efficiency and utilize the latest technologies to reduce peak load energy consumption. Thermal energy storage and photovoltaic solar allow IO to reduce our energy costs and enhance the reliability of power and cooling systems. IO provides reliable, efficient and cost-effective colocation for businesses of any size.
Learn more about IO's colocation options and how you can keep your business always-on.

