Data centers are the foundation stone of your IT infrastructure. According to statistics, there is going to be a revenue growth of 4.12% by 2027. Considering all your data storage, computing, and deployment are done in these facilities, it is vital to make sure you opt for the best data centers. In this article, we will list the top data center providers of the USA, as per our understanding.
Before we delve into the best data center providers in the USA, we need to understand what are data centers and what criteria do we need to take into consideration while selecting a data center provider.
What is a Data Center?
Simply put, data centers (DCs) are physical infrastructures that house all your digital data and applications. They are a combination of virtual and physical facilities that hold all the components needed to build, run, store, and deliver applications and manage services, and the network that allows for shared access.
When data centers were first established, they were on-premise, physical infrastructures that were privately owned by one company and closely monitored by them. These data centers were to cater to users just within the organization. However, modern data centers are vastly different from their predecessors and have evolved into multiple categories.
Types of Data Centers
Today, data centers connect multiple on-premise systems with cloud infrastructure, allowing multiple users or companies to access data and applications as well as virtualize workload.
While data centers can come in all sizes, from a small server room to groups of buildings distributed throughout the world, there are mainly four kinds of data centers.
- On-premise or Enterprise Data Centers:
These are private data centers that are owned and used by one company. Usually owned by large firms, only the people within the company can build, process, and store applications on it.
- Colocation Data Centers:
Colocation data centers are like rental infrastructure that are given out to companies looking to use a data center without building one of their own.
- Hybrid Data Centers:
As the name suggests, hybrid data centers are a combination of cloud data centers and on-premise data centers. These data centers are good for cost savings as the cloud facilities allow you the flexibility to scale on demand, as well as enable a range of IT services like access to redundant servers, data processing, container orchestration, and more.
- Hyperscale Data Centers:
Hyperscale data centers are like colocation data centers with one major difference, they are larger than 10,000 sq. ft of floor, have more than 500 cabinets, and contain more than 5000 servers. These business-critical data centers are extremely scalable and are often used by big companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.
Criteria to Look For When Selecting a Data Center
Here is a list of things you should consider before finalizing your data center provider.
- Location:
The location of a data center plays a vital role as it affects the cost and the website speed. The closer the data center to your target audience/customer base, the better it is for your data speed and budget.
- Security:
Considering that the data center houses all the critical data and applications of a company, it is essential to have a good security system in place. It needs to have the requisite certificates to protect your data from physical as well as virtual attacks.
- Scalability:
If you are a company that is growing at a fast rate or a company that tends to have a peak season, then you need a data center that is able to scale as per your company’s requirements, like having sufficient redundant servers to support your company’s growth.
- Reliability:
A quality data center worth its salt will be prepared for the worst. It will have the proper emergency system in place that will be able to deal with emergencies such as power outages due to fires or natural disasters.
- Environment:
When looking for a data center, make sure they have a proper cooling and humidity monitoring system. The environment of the data center needs to be closely monitored.
Top Cloud Data Center Providers
Ever since the pandemic, there has been a surge in demand for cloud data centers. Due to its high affordability and flexibility, more and more companies are migrating to the cloud. If you are a company looking to move to the cloud, then here is the list of the top cloud data center providers in the U.S.
1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
CEO: Adam Selipsky
Location: Seattle, WA
Founded: 2006
Where cloud is considered, AWS is the leading provider of cloud computing services and according to statistics, it occupied 33% of the cloud market share, as of the first quarter of 2022. Their ever-evolving cloud platform, multiple price drops, and pay-as-you-go model have made them the leader in the cloud industry.
AWS DCs are strictly monitored 24*7 with multi-layer protection in place comprising a perimeter layer, infrastructure layer, data layer and environment layer, which ensures restricted entry, power back-up, HVAC system, threat detection, and fire suppression, all the while using eco-friendly measures to boost sustainability.
With stringent security measures, optimized performance, high availability, scalability, the largest global infrastructure footprint in the industry and options for running workloads globally, locally or on-premise, AWS enables businesses to choose the best approach for their specific requirements.
Whether it’s data encryption or low latency, AWS Global Cloud Infrastructure provides a robust and feature-rich cloud computing platform of over 200 featured services to businesses of all sizes, all over the globe.
2. IBM Cloud
CEO: Arvind Krishna
Location: Armonk, NY
Founded: 2013
If you are a business that is looking to move to a hybrid cloud, then IBM Cloud is one of the best cloud providers you can opt for. They have a wide range of well-developed portfolios that provide high-quality enterprise solutions. IBM Cloud has gained fame around the world for its expertise in mission-critical systems and for providing reliable and cost-effective IT platforms.
IBM runs its workload in over 46 data centers, spread across 9 regions and 27 availability zones. Along with high resilience, low latency, and certified security, the company also provides ample choice for businesses to opt for dc regions according to their requirements.
IBMs data centers are built on the Pod architecture, where a data centre can contain more than one Pod. Each of these Pod contains racks, servers, networks, storage and back-up power generators which ensure the business continuity of its clients.
3. Google Cloud Platform
CEO: Thomas Kurian
Location: Mountain View, CA
Founded: 2008
It is common knowledge that Google Cloud Platform is one of the top contenders in the market of cloud computing and is justifiably so. The company has made its mark in the market with its affordable service, speed and user-friendliness. Google offers its services on a pay-as-you-go model. It also provides a free trial, where new customers get $300 free credits to run and test applications.
Google Cloud deploys data centers in 20 different regions throughout the globe like Chile, Vietnam, Ireland, the United States and more, allowing customers to select the data centers closest to them. Google data centers provide 6-layer security including biometrics, comprehensive camera coverage and perimeter defence system.
Google data centers are not only energy efficient but also one of the most high-performing, secure, and reliable data centers around the globe.
4. Microsoft Azure
CEO: Satya Narayana Nadella
Location: Redmond, WA
Founded: 2008
As a cloud computing platform, Microsoft Azure provides a wide range of cloud services, that are flexible as well as cost-effective. This flagship product of Microsoft allows customers to build, manage and deploy workloads in all languages and frameworks. With data centers distributed throughout the globe, Microsoft Azure provides reliable services, a robust and fast network as well as strong IT support.
In the cloud industry, Microsoft holds the second place as a cloud service provider. And their extensive data centers are one of the reasons for their popularity, with 60+ cloud regions and 120 availability zones under active deployment. The data centers are built to be resilient and provide 99.999% availability to meet customer’s needs and SLA.
5. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
EVP and Founding member: Clay Magouyrk
Location: Austin, TX
Founded: 2016
Oracle has garnered fame as the company that provides the best database solutions in the cloud market and has even been named the leader in Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant. OCI provides the platform to build cloud-native apps, with built-in security without being charged extra for it. The company also provides competitive prices that are consistently inexpensive across all regions to ease the process of adoption.
Oracle deploys its cloud services from 40+ public cloud regions spread across 22 countries including the U.S., Canada, India, Dubai, Germany, and more. Oracle’s data centers are reliable due to its private backbone network which ensures a secure transfer of data between different regions for disaster protection. The company’s ANSI/TIA-942-A Tier 3 or Tier 4 Standard compliance and N+2 redundancy methodology for mission-critical operations ensure high availability in their data centers.
Top 16 Data Center Providers in the USA
1. 365 Data Centers
CEO: Bob DeSantis
Location: Norwalk, CT
Founded: 2012
With 20+ colocation data centers located throughout the US, 365 Data Centers provides top-notch data center solutions to its customers like nationwide network connectivity, cloud compute and storage, Disaster recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS), Backend-as-a-Service (Baas) and business continuity services. The company is focused on supplying data centers that are constantly monitored with security measures that are compliant with HIPPA, SOC 2, PCI DSS, SSAE 18 and ISAE 3404.
The company leverages the latest technology like high-speed connectivity between data centers, Ethernet transport, private wavelengths and built-to-spec dark fiber deployment to ensure business continuity. 365 Data Centers promises low latency and resilient facilities that allow scalability as per the requirement of the business, as well as a speedy contingency plan in the event of natural calamities.
2. Cologix
CEO: Laura Ortman
Location: Denver, CO
Founded: 2010
Catering to both US and Canada, Cologix has 40+ data centers operational in prime locations in both countries. With a constant monitoring system consisting of multi-layered access control and a 24/7 helpline in place, the company provides reliable services with a promise of 99.99% uptime.
Keeping up with the digital times, Cologix provides cloud-first products and services keeping in mind the scalability of your company. Their high-class infrastructure, power back up and redundant servers and cooling solutions ensure that your company’s needs are met with maximum efficiency and almost negligible latency.
The company’s Meet-Me-Rooms allow you to connect with multiple cloud, content and network partners. The company also plans to build 3 new Scalelogix Data Centers covering an area of 1 million sq ft and consuming 200 MW of power.
3. CoreSite
CEO: Juan Font
Location: Denver, CO
Founded: 2001
CoreSite (now an American Tower company) is focused on providing reliable, secure and cloud-enabled data center solutions. Spread over 10 key markets across the U.S., CoreSite has 20+ data center facilities that leverage the latest technology to meet the needs of their clients.
Covering a total of 4.7 million sq ft to cater to over 1,300 customers, CoreSite data centers have multilayer access control and are constantly monitored by highly trained personnel. They also have advanced cooling systems and power back-ups in place that ensure your business continuity. CoreSite data centers are compliant with HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, and SOC 2 Type 2 which prove that the quality standard of these data centers are constantly maintained.
4. CyrusOne
CEO: Eric Schwartz
Location: Dallas, TX
Founded: 2000
With over 50 data centers spread across key markets across the US and Europe, CyrusOne provides state-of-the-art data center solutions to its customers. Consisting of over 4 million sq. ft of total net rentable square footage (NRSF), the company supplies enterprise-level colocation data centers, that are flexible, reliable and custom-built to the unique requirement of its customers like greenfield data centers.
CyrusOne hires highly skilled engineers to ensure that your data center is safe from any kind of cyber threat or elements of nature. The facilities are heavily guarded and under constant surveillance with a multi-layer security system. The data centers also contain well-maintained redundant servers that ensure that your company has enough room to grow even at a fast pace.
5. Cyxtera
CEO: Nelson Fonseca
Location: Coral Gables, FL
Founded: 2017
Cyxtera is one of the leading data center providers in its field. With over 60 data centers situated in 30 key markets, Cyxtera provides world-class quality data center solutions at high speeds with low latency to over 2000 customers.
The company offers a complete suite of power space, interconnections, bare metal and remote hands that enable flexible solutions keeping in mind the scalability of its clients. Its laser focus on security and compliance ensures that high standards are maintained at all times and that your data center is protected from all risks. Cyxtera’s highly interconnected ecosystem and software-defined platform allow for seamless deployments of its client’s workload and applications.
6. Digital Realty
CEO: Andrew Power
Location: Austin, TX
Founded: 2001
With over 300 data centers located across 25 countries, Digital Realty is one of the largest data center providers in the U.S. as well as abroad. The company is focused on providing top-class data center solutions, that are flexible and scalable and help their clients to grow exponentially.
Digital Realty believes in leveraging state-of-the-art technology to provide secure, reliable, and cost-effective data center solutions. The company maintains strict industry standards and is compliant with SOC 2, MAS, PCI-DSS, FISMA NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 9001 and 27001. The company is a wholesale data center provider to both small businesses as well as large enterprises.
The company’s endeavours to provide sustainable and energy-efficient initiatives have allowed it to build green data centers with design PUEs as low as 1.12.
7. Equinix
CEO: Charles Meyers
Location: Redwood City, CA
Founded: 1998
Where data center solutions are concerned, Equinix is the crème-de-la-crème of data center providers. The company operates 200+ data centers across the globe and caters to over 260 Fortune 500 companies.
The company is a leader in providing highly scalable and flexible solutions. They are highly focused on security with real-time monitoring and maintaining industry standard compliance. Equinix’s round-the-clock remote support ensures business continuity and negligible downtime.
8. Flexential
CEO: Chris Downie
Location: Charlotte, NC
Founded: 2000
Flexential offers a wide range of data center solutions like cloud data centers, retail colocation data centers, data protection services and more. With 30+ data centers spread throughout the country, Flexential provides quality services keeping in mind the scalability of the company.
The highly skilled engineers leverage the latest technology to provide data centers that are secure and reliable. The company also maintains industry standards in compliance, ensuring that the data centers are safe from any threats be it virtual threats like cyber-attacks or physical threats like natural calamities.
9. H5 Data Centers
CEO: Josh Simms
Location: Denver, CO
Founded: 2010
With over 20 data centers throughout the country, H5 Data Centers is one of the leading providers of data centers in the USA. Focused on delivering quality service, H5 Data Centers are reliable and highly scalable. The company provides a wide range of data center solutions like edge data centers, wholesale data centers and sale-leaseback structures at highly affordable prices.
Their 24/7 help desk ensures that there are highly skilled engineers ready to address any issues that you face at a moment’s notice. They also have a multi-layered security system that makes sure your data is always safe.
10. INAP
CEO: Michael T. Sicoli
Location: Arlington, VA
Founded: 1996
INAP provides high-quality data center solutions that allow your company enough room for expansion. Their expertly built data centers are reliable and secure and compliant with all the industry standard certifications.
INAP, which has now been taken over by Evocative, provides High-Performance Guarantee that allows its customers to switch solutions as per their requirements. They also terminate contracts early without any termination fee if a customer is dissatisfied with their services.
11. Iron Mountain
CEO: William Meaney
Location: Boston, MA
Founded: 1951
With a combined area of over 4 million sq ft, Iron Mountain operates globally providing high-quality data center solutions. The company has 30 years of experience in the industry and provides data centers that are highly secure and compliant with industry standards.
Their state-of-the-art infrastructure allows customers to scale rapidly without compromising their data. The company is also focused on providing reliable services with negligible downtime and its 24/7 helpline ensures business continuity.
12. Lumen
CEO: Kate Johnson
Location: Monroe, LA
Founded: 1930
Lumen is considered one of the top data center providers in the USA. With data centers located throughout the globe, Lumen provides excellent data center solutions at cost-effective prices that require no upfront payment.
The company is highly focused on providing facilities that are extremely reliable and scalable and meet the needs of the customer. It also deploys the latest technologies to protect the data centers from all forms of risks like cyber attacks, floods, fires and earthquakes.
13. Mod Mission Critical
CEO: Michael Hollander
Location: Greenwood Village, CO
Founded: 2012
Mod Mission Critical has 25 years of experience and is one of the top data center providers in the country. With 50+ operational data centers spread throughout the globe, the company provides high-speed services with non-existent latency issues.
The data centers have multi-layer security and limited access control that ensure that the facilities are always safe and secure. The highly qualified team at the company ensures compliance and that your storage, network and computing needs are met with little to no downtime.
14. QTS
CEO: Chad William
Location: Overland Park, KS
Founded: 2003
With over 20 data centers located in key market areas in the US and Northern Netherlands, QTS is one of the leaders in providing data center solutions. The company’s highly resilient data centers guarantee reliable services that are scalable to meet its customer’s growing needs, without latency.
The data centers provided by the company are constantly monitored 24/7 ensuring that the facilities are protected from all physical and logical attacks and the cyber security programme ensures that your data is safe from any virtual attack as well. QTS guarantees that all industry-standard protocols are maintained in the facility and that it is compliant with SOC 2, PCI-DSS, FISMA, HITRUST, ISO 27001 etc.
15. TierPoint
CEO: Jerry Kent
Location: Saint Louis, MO
Founded: 2010
In the data center industry, TierPoint is one of the top data center providers in the US. Its 40 data centers located at prime locations guarantee quality services at fast speeds and without lag. The company is highly focused on providing data centers that are scalable and economical.
The data centers of TierPoint are highly secure with special security systems in place, like a two-factor authentication biometric system, 24/7 surveillance and monitoring and photo ID access. They are also compliant with SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPPA/HITECH, GLBA, PCI-DSS v3.2.1, NIST SP 800-53 and more.
16. Verizon
CEO: Manon Brouillette
Location: New York
Founded: 2000
With the capacity to accommodate over a million customers, Verizon provides highly scalable colocation data centers to companies across the globe. Verizon’s data center facilities are highly secure and compliant with industry-standard protocols like ISO/IEC 27001:2005, PCI-DSS, CSCF and more.
Verizon provides high-capacity data centers at competitive prices, keeping in mind the customer’s needs. Its advanced cooling systems, disaster contingency plans and power backup ensure business continuity.
Below is a list of the most important products and features of data center service providers in USA.
| Company | 365 Data Centers | Cologix | CoreSite | CyrusOne | Cyxtera | Digital Realty | Equinix | Flexential | H5 Data Center | INAP | Iron Mountain | Lumen | Mod Mission Critical | QTS | TierPoint | Verizon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Center Solutions | Cabinets, Cages and Custom Suites, Power Options, Space Options, Design Options, security and Technology | Colocation services, Data Center Infrastructure Management, Managed Infrastructure, Disaster Recovery Seating & Continuity Services | Cabinet Colocation, Cage Colocation, Privater Data Center Suites, Move-In Assistance, | Cloud and Hybrid Solutions, Colocation Solutions, Built-to-Suit Data Centers, Connectivity Solutions | Colocation Services, Accounts Operations Management, Compliance | Colocation Solutions, Green Data Centre, Security and Compliance, | Colocation Services, Data Center Deployments, Real Time Infrastructure Monitoring, Green data centers | Retail Colocation, Wholesale Colocation, Disaster Recovery, Cloud, Managed Services, Disaster Recovery | Build-to-Suits, Edge Data Centers, Internet Exchange, Powered Shells, Wholesale Data Centers, Sale-Leasebacks | Colocation Service, Bare Metal Servers, Security, Data Protection | Data Center Migration, Data Center Installations & Build, NOC Portal & Support | Collaboration, Connected Security, Edge Computing, Hybrid Cloud, Managed Services | Bare Metal, Managed Colocation, Coloaction Procurement | Service Delivery Platform, Colocation, Connectivity, Industry Solutions, Build-to-suit | Colocation, Network Services, Business Continuity Workspace | AC Power Availablity, Network Latency, Packet Delivery, Network Jitter, Outage Reporting |
| No. Of. Data Centers | 20 | 40 | 28 | 50 | 60 | 300 | 200 | 39 | 20 | 40 | 21 | 350 | 50 | 20 | 40 | 6 |
| Location | Alpharetta, Aurora, Bridgewater, Boca Raton, Buffalo, Carlstadt, Chicago, Commack, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Herndon, Marlborough, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Rancho Cordova, Richardson, Smyrna, Tampa | Ashburn, Columbus, Dallas, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Minneapolis, New Jersey, Silicon Valley | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Northern Virginia, Orlando, Silicon Valley, Washington D.C. | Phoenix, Santa Clara, Norwalk, Stamford, Chicago Council Bluffs, Florence, Totowa, Somerset, Wappingers Falls, Raleigh-Durham, Cincinnati, Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Northern Virginia, Quincy | Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, New Jersey, Norther Virginia, Phoenix, Seattle, Sillicon Valley, Tampa | Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Northern Virginia, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Queretaro, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Culpeper, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Washinton DC, | Allentown, Atlanta, charlotte, Cincinnati, Denver, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Minneapolis, Nashville, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, Tampa | Atlanta, Boston, Chappaqua, Dalla, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Reston, Seattle, Secaucus, Silicon Valley | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Northern Virginia, Seattle, Sillicon Valley | Boston, Denver, Kansas City, New Jersey, Ohio, W. Pennsylvania, Phoenix, Scottsdale, N Virginia | Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Burbank, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Irvine, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York City, Orlando, Raleigh, Sacremento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Tampa, Utah | Ashburn, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Jose, Tampa, | Ashburn, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, East Windsor, Jersey City, Irving, Miami, Phoenix, Richmond, San Antonio, Suwanee, | Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin | Beltsville |
| Cloud Solutions | Cloud Infrastructure, Managed Backups, Disaster Recovery, Application Hosting, Cloud Connectivity | Private, Public and Hybrid Clouds | Public, Private and Hybrid Cloud, Bare Metal Cloud, CoreSite Open Cloud Exchange, CoreSite Interconnect Gateway, Managed services. | HPE Greenlake, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM DirectLink, Oracle Cloud | Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, Google Cloud Platform | AWS Direct Connect, Oracle FastConnect, Google Cloud Interconnect, IBM Direct Link | Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure | Hosted Private Cloud, Hosted Private Cloud- Advanced Access, Multi-tenant Cloud, Managed Public Cloud, Managed Cloud Containers, Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) | Amazon Web Service (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud | INAP Bare Metal Server Hosting, disaster recovery, storage, security | Iron Cloud Data Management, Storage, Disaster Recovery, Ransome Recovery, Backup | Managed Public and Private Cloud, Network Storage, Disaster Recovery, Cloud Connect | Dedicated Hosting, Virtual Hosting, Managed Proxy, AWS Direct Connect | QTS Switchboards, Carrier Hotels, AWS Direct Connect, Cloud On-Ramps | Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Multitenant Cloud, Cloud Connectivity | Software Defined Interconnect (SDI) Access, SDI Equinix Cloud Access, Secure Cloud Interconnect (SCI) |
| Remote Hands | Yes | Yes | Yes | Smart Hands | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Smart Hands | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Carrier Neutral | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data Center Space | 1M SQFT | 440,000 SQFT | 4.7M SQFT | 4M net rentable SQFT | 1.83M SQFT sellable | 34.2M rentable SQFT | 29.4M SQFT | 3M SQFT | 3M SQFT | N/A | 3.7 M SQFT | N/A | N/A | 9 M SQFT | 1.95M |
Finding the right data center for your company can be a taxing process. I hope this list of the best data center providers helps you ease the process.
Disclaimer: The list of top 16 data center providers in the US is solely the author’s opinion and is not to be used for investment purposes. The article is intended for Informational purposes only and the information has been compiled from various sources on the internet. This is not a ranking and the names have been added in alphabetical order.
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