Case Study
Introduction
Cogent Communications, one of the world’s largest Internet Service Providers (ISP), is always on a mission to reach and serve more customers high quality Internet, Ethernet and Colocation services. To do so, they are continually expanding their footprint into new regions and territories poised for growth. Once they identify an area for expansion, Cogent usually seeks a trusted data center partner, where they can colocate their equipment while delivering internet services to the data center’s customers. Cogent has found this approach brings them to revenue quicker and maximizes their Return on Investment (ROI).
The Challenge
There are many factors to consider when choosing a data center and colocation partner, including: ISP carrier status, cross-connect policies, geographic location, and of course – price. A facility with a reliable, consistent power source that is positioned in a location insulated from destructive natural disasters is also very important. For some industries that handle sensitive data like healthcare and finance, compliance becomes a big consideration. With this in mind, the team at Cogent must choose a partner that fits all of their criteria before they can expand.
The Solution
Already an established, trusted partner with OTAVA, Cogent again looked to the cloud professionals to assist them in their expansion. Cogent was familiar with the high level of customer service and reliable solutions OTAVA offered since they already had data hosted in two OTAVA data centers.
Cogent previously entered OTAVA’s Indianapolis data center in 2016, and Metro-Detroit in 2018. This time, Cogent was interested in deploying in OTAVA’s Ann Arbor Michigan data center. OTAVA’s attractive cross-connect policies and pricing, and the facility’s carrier-neutral status were key factors in their decision making. They needed to be sure that they could not only reach additional clients, but continue to deliver high-quality services in a secure environment.
In addition, Cogent was drawn to the operational expenditure (OpEx) financial model enabled by colocation, which provided greater flexibility than a capital expenditure (CapEx) model required if they built a facility of their own.
In June of 2022, Cogent officially deployed colocation services in OTAVA’s Ann Arbor data center. Implementation was as simple as possible. Within days Cogent was all set up in their new environment, ready to serve the nearby communities. OTAVA’s dedication to proactively identifying issues and supporting mission-critical applications means that Cogent can trust their data will be available 24/7. And each data center is fully staffed, so whenever Cogent wants to add additional cross-connections, it’s as simple as letting their OTAVA rep know and they’ll carry it out. For Cogent, there’s no touching necessary!
The Results
Thanks to the fast time-to-revenue enabled by OTAVA® Hosted Colocation, Cogent expects to see returns on their investment within the first 12 months of entering the Ann Arbor data center. And while OTAVA supports their infrastructure, Cogent can focus on other priorities like innovation and growth. Cogent will continue to consider OTAVA when possible as a colocation partner in their future plans to expand. The trusted relationship shared between the two is vital to ensuring a smooth and successful entrance into promising new markets.
