CHANNELVISION | SPRING 2026 As organizations continue to grapple with infrastructure decisions, technology advisors are increasingly stepping in to guide organizations through complex deployments. Data center services are one of the fastestgrowing areas of the channel in 2026, driving significant revenue opportunities for partners. But partners and customers must tread carefully when procuring data center services — especially when it comes to power, where customers often overlook critical factors such as watts, amps and peak usage. According to Colocation America CEO Samantha Walters, this knowledge gap can introduce risk. For example, a customer may plan for a modest deployment but wind up drawing more power than they initially expected. This type of error can lead to costly outages. “As much as we are growing as an industry, and there’s dollars to be made, partners must educate customers when placing them into third-party data center environments,” said Walters. “Many people are getting into this space without a true understanding of the services which are available and the risks involved.” For Walters, success starts with helping clients define their broader infrastructure goals and build a longterm plan. “Is it minimizing latency? Power scalability? Cost? Accessibility? Customers often realize they need to be in a data center, but their knowledge around core areas like power, space and connectivity may be a little bit off,” she continued. This disconnect presents an opening for channel partners to step in — not just as brokers of space and power but as advisors who can guide customers through terminology, requirements and deployment strategy. It also extends to site selection, with growing interest in emerging markets such as New Jersey, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, which offer proximity to major metropolitan hubs at a lower cost. At the same time, connectivity remains a critical yet often overlooked factor, particularly in secondary markets where options may be limited. “While most conversations today focus on space, power and cost, organizations must also consider access, security and latency,” Walters said. Colocation America has positioned itself as a resource for SMBs that seek affordable, reliable and secure IT infrastructure. In addition to colocation services, the company offers secure dedicated servers as well as bandwidth and IP services. Just as important is the company’s focus on education and support. In her first year as CEO in 2025, Walters focused heavily on adding more resources for customers. “One of my top priorities has been strengthening the customer experience, starting with human support,” Walters said. “We continue to invest heavily in ensuring customers can reach a real person, 24/7. Our data center team is staffed with live agents who can step in and engage with partners and customers.” Colocation America maintains data center locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Boston, New Jersey and New York. The company is also actively seeking channel partners who have space and power opportunities in areas where the company does not yet operate. “If you have space and power availability, I would love to hear from you,” Walters said. “I’m constantly getting leads from new areas, and so we’re looking to build our network to make recommendations and drive partner growth.” o Colocation America CEO Samantha Walters Demystifying Colocation Colocation America helps customers navigate complexity around power, performance and infrastructure decisions EDGE TO CLOUD 56
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