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Co-location, for the purposes of this discussion, is the outsourcing of Internet services (such as Web hosting). Outsourcing is when a company decides to let an outside service organization manage some aspect of its business. Outsourcing lets a company concentrate on what it does best and reduce the expenses associated with managing services that are better handled by outside experts.

The most common form of co-location is the outsourcing of Web services, commerce services, intranet servers, and extranet servers. A co-location provider such as AboveNet provides these services:

• Teleco-grade facilities with fire protection, clean power, and power backup


• High-bandwidth redundant Internet connections


• Peering arrangements with other service providers and Internet exchanges


• Management on a 24-hour, 7-day-per-week basis.


• Technical expertise in managing BGP4 routing, TCP/IP, and other Internet protocols

A co-location facility with high-bandwidth Internet connections is commonly called a gigaPoP (Point-of-Presence with gigabit connections).

The AboveNet Web site listed has additional information. You can also check with the Internet service providers in your area for additional information about co-location.

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