Data centers have plenty of costs to cover. There is leasing the space itself, running electricity, paying staff and a slew of other overheads to consider. While many data centers are researching ways to reduce costs, one are that should not be underfunded is security.

Cyber breaches happen with alarming frequency and data centers can be vulnerable to physical breaches resulting in the loss of valuable data for clients and businesses. But the data centers that invest in biometric security will find that it is the best way to protect their hardware. Biometrics use individuals' unique physical characteristics instead of a pass code or key. That way, access control is more effective and the network is safer.

These centers need to remember that any savings they gain by skimping on security can be quickly undone in just one breach. In the long run, biometric technology will pay off. Rather, data centers can focus on other ways to reduce their overhead costs.

Location, location, location
Not all real estate is created equal – building a center and owning a plot of land in some regions comes with a much higher price tag than others. According to a study from commercial real estate company CBRE, location choice can yield a difference of millions of dollars over the course of a lease, reported Data Center Dynamics. The results of the study indicated that Boston was the most expensive city to lease a data center, while Atlanta was the cheapest.

The study used a 7-year, 1-million watt lease as a basis and found that Boston and Atlanta were roughly $12 million apart. But CBRE advised that a number of variables could skew that number.

"The opportunity to preserve capital will remain available so long as the leased data center site selection process carefully considers the primary cost variables of rent, power and taxes, and recognizes the variability that exists from market to market," the firm said in the report. "The site selection process for an owned data center, meanwhile, will hinge more on the relative costs of power, real and personal property taxes, sales taxes, available incentives, land costs and construction cost variability."

Different states offer financial incentives
More and more states are luring data centers by way of tax breaks and other incentives, according to The Wall Street Journal. Washington and Oregon, metro Phoenix, Iowa, North Carolina an Virginia offer tax-based reasons for data centers to build in those areas.

For the states, data centers provide a broader tax base, lucrative construction and technical jobs and the possibility of more big companies to follow. Additionally, there is the reputation boost a state gets from boasting a brand new data center – like the ego-boost Iowa got after agreeing to terms with Facebook for a $300 million dollar data center. In return, Facebook will get $18 million in tax refunds and and 20-year exemption on paying on property taxes.

"There's a certain 'wow' factor when people say, 'You've got Google, Microsoft and Facebook right in your backyard,'" Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, told The Wall Street Journal. "That's not something I can put an economic value to."

Others states, like Nebraska, can offer a different kind of benefit. The state's 51-degree annual average temperature is a draw because it can help cool a center's equipment, another perpetual concern.

In all, there are many opportunities for data centers to lower their operating costs and states are eager to offer whatever they can to lure the high-demand enterprises. These cost reductions leave plenty of room for the centers to focus on other necessities, like a strong biometric access control platform.