If you run a business in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, or West Richland, you have probably been told to "move to the cloud." But cloud hosting is not the only option — and it is not always the right one. For many local businesses, colocation in a nearby datacenter is a better fit, and some use a mix of both. Here is how to think about the choice.
What is cloud hosting?
With cloud hosting, you rent virtual infrastructure and someone else owns and maintains the hardware. At CBIT, that means Windows and Linux virtual servers running on our high-availability Microsoft datacenter cluster in Richland, plus S3-compatible object storage with immutability and offsite replication. You get predictable monthly costs and no hardware to buy, replace, or repair.
Cloud is a strong fit when you want to convert big capital purchases into a monthly operating expense, scale resources up and down quickly, or eliminate aging on-premise servers.
What is colocation?
With colocation, you own the hardware and we provide the facility to run it in. You place your own servers and network gear in our Richland datacenter and inherit standby-generator backup power, physical security, and carrier-neutral connectivity — without building any of that yourself.
Colocation makes sense when you have already invested in servers, need full control over the operating system and hardware, or have compliance and licensing requirements that are easier to meet on equipment you own.
The questions that actually decide it
- Do you want to own hardware (colocation) or rent it (cloud)?
- Is your cost preference a monthly operating expense (cloud) or a capital purchase you already made (colocation)?
- How fast do you need to scale? Cloud adds capacity in minutes; colocation means buying and racking gear.
- Do you need direct control of the physical machine and OS, or just the workload running on it?
- What are your connectivity needs — and do you want to interconnect with a specific carrier?
Why local matters either way
Whether you choose cloud or colocation, hosting locally in the Tri-Cities has real advantages. Our datacenter is carrier-neutral, so you can interconnect with Ziply, Spectrum, and Noanet, and take advantage of dark fiber, internet service up to 40 Gb, and Layer 2 transport. Network paths ride a redundant Noanet MPLS ring. Your data stays in Washington, latency to local offices is low, and when something needs attention, you are working with a team a few minutes away — not a call center on the other side of the country.
We are also building our security program to align with SOC 2 Type II standards, with a third-party audit and attestation scheduled for the second half of 2027.
Not sure which fits?
Most businesses do not need to pick a side on day one. We can start you on cloud, colocate the hardware you already own, or blend the two. Contact CBIT and we will walk through your workloads, budget, and compliance needs and recommend the right mix.