Reality Bytes: Why Does Your MSP Keep You On-Premise?

Lately, I’ve been asked the same question by clients and peers: “Why haven’t you written about Winsor’s move into colocation?” since you launched Data Center Reviews. Yes, I have not, but I will. Definitely follow Data Center Reviews: Follow along, ask questions: https://lnkd.in/gxiNChUF

So here it is. For those who’ve asked, and for those who haven’t yet but should; why is your infrastructure on premise in a commercial building and not in a data center.

Yes, I work at Winsor Consulting Group, LLC . And yes, I was part of the team that helped lead our shift into the colocation space. We didn’t make the move lightly. We did it because we kept seeing the same problems across industries, businesses stuck in outdated office server rooms, relying on power strips, inefficient cooling setups, and internet connections meant for sending emails, not infrastructure. Brian Sprott started Winsor Consulting to deliver services at a level others were not, and if that meant having tough conversations with his customers and potential customers he was ready for it, and has delivered those conversations since 2016.

Our infrastructure that supports our business is in a data center and our customers should be too.

Why We Made the Shift

Our clients already trusted us to manage their IT, secure their networks, and keep them compliant. But when we looked deeper, we saw a gap, where their data physically lived. That matters. If your MSP owns the process from endpoint to edge, why would they leave your infrastructure sitting in a closet?

We asked ourselves: Why are so many businesses still on-premise in 2025? The answers: inertia, uncertainty, and often, a lack of leadership from their providers.

So we vetted facilities. We asked hard questions. We visited sites. We leaned into compliance, particularly for clients navigating CMMC requirements and federal-level security needs. And we built a nationwide footprint with coast-to-coast colocation options from partners we trust. No bots. No excuses. Just infrastructure you can count on.

On-Prem Isn’t Strategic. It’s a Liability.

There’s a misconception that on-premise gives you more control, and saves money. In reality, it gives you more responsibility, less reliability and cost more if you need to scale.

Let’s be honest. Most office buildings weren’t designed for server loads, redundant power, or high-density cooling. They weren’t built to support 24/7 uptime or carrier diversity. When something goes wrong after hours, during a storm, in the middle of a deployment you don’t call a facility engineer. You call your MSP.

That’s why we built Winsor Colocation. To give you the benefits of a real data center without passing you off to another vendor.

The Costs Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Robert West, MBA recently wrote a sharp article called The Hidden Costs of On-Premise Data Centers and Why Colocation Wins. I encourage you to read it. He lays out what many of us in the field already know: office data centers cost more than they save.

Power bills are through the roof. Cooling systems fail. Your team wastes hours managing cables, chasing down alerts, and praying the HVAC doesn’t cut out in July. And let’s not even talk about what happens when the ISP goes down or someone unplugs the wrong switch before a big launch.

At a proper data center, power is redundant. Cooling is industrial. Internet is carrier-rich and intelligently routed. All of that exists before you plug in a single server.

Colocation Gives You Back More Than Uptime

It gives you time. It gives your engineers breathing room. It gives your business the ability to grow without expanding your real estate. You don’t need to sacrifice office space for server racks. You don’t need to staff for infrastructure you could offload. You need partners who’ve already built what you’re trying to duct-tape together.

And most importantly, you need predictability. One flat monthly fee. No surprise HVAC failures. No midnight emergency wiring jobs.

Stop by and See for Yourself

We’ll be at the Arizona Technology Council . Come say hello. Karla Bernal Morales, MBA has put together a great line-up with the help from the amazing committee Sonia Vohnout , Jessica Sutton , Viaggio Chavez , Shelly Glandon , Jamie Neilson-Six Or better yet, schedule a tour at our new data hall in Tucson, Arizona that is ready for customers. We’d love to walk you through what a real infrastructure environment looks like and why colocation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

If your MSP provider hasn’t talked to you about colocation, you should ask why.

Because in 2025, staying on-premise isn’t a strategy. It’s a stall.

Let’s fix that. Definitely follow Data Center Reviews: Follow along, ask questions: https://lnkd.in/gxiNChUF

— Joseph Wells Senior Consultant, Winsor Consulting Co-Founder, Data Center Reviews