Remote hands is a service offered by data center and colocation operators in which the operator’s on-site technicians perform physical tasks on a customer’s equipment, following the customer’s instructions. Typical requests include rebooting a server, checking status lights, swapping a cable or drive, receiving a delivery and racking equipment. It lets you manage hardware in a facility without being there.
At a glance
- Remote hands covers physical, on-site tasks done by the facility’s staff on your equipment, at your direction.
- It is usually billed per task, per time increment or as a monthly bundle, with higher rates for urgent or after-hours work.
- Many providers split the service into basic tasks and more skilled technical work, sometimes under different names.
- Response times, scope and pricing vary by provider and are worth negotiating before you sign a colocation contract.
What problem it solves
Equipment in a data center still needs physical attention. A server hangs and needs a power cycle, a cable fails, a drive needs replacing or a new device arrives and needs to be racked. If the facility is across town, someone loses half a day travelling; if it is in another city or country, the trip may take days and cost far more than the task.
Remote hands puts the facility’s technicians to work instead. You open a ticket or call, describe the task, and someone already in the building goes to your cabinet or cage and does it. That shortens recovery from simple failures and makes it practical to place equipment where it serves the business best, rather than where your staff live.
How it works
Requesting work. Customers submit a request through the operator’s portal, by email or by phone, naming the equipment and describing the task step by step. Clear labelling and up-to-date rack diagrams make requests faster and reduce mistakes.
Scope. Basic tasks typically include power-cycling, visual checks, reading serial numbers, moving or reseating cables, swapping parts you supply, and handling shipments. Many operators offer a more skilled tier for installs, structured cabling, testing circuits or console access to help with basic configuration. Some operators call the skilled tier “smart hands” or use another name; others use the terms interchangeably.
Response and billing. Operators commonly publish a target response time for standard and urgent requests. Billing may be per task, per hour or minimum increment, or drawn down from a monthly bundle. After-hours and emergency work often carry higher rates.
Records. Requests and completed work are usually logged in the portal, sometimes with photos, which helps you confirm what was done and audit charges.
Remote hands is distinct from ordering a cross-connect, which the operator provisions as its own product, though the same staff may do the physical work.
When it matters for buyers
- Choosing a colocation site. If your team is not local, the quality and price of remote hands can matter as much as the space and power.
- Negotiating the contract. Included hours, billing increments and response targets are easier to negotiate before signing than after.
- Planning for outages. Know how to open an urgent request and how quickly someone will respond before you need it.
- Reviewing the bill. Remote hands charges can creep up; review them alongside the work logs.
For help comparing colocation providers and their service terms, see our Colocation solution page.
Questions to ask vendors
- Which tasks are included in your standard remote hands service, and which require a higher tier?
- What are the target response times for standard and urgent requests, and are they in the contract?
- How is the service billed, and what is the minimum billing increment?
- Are any hours included in our monthly fee, and do unused hours roll over?
- Are after-hours, weekend and holiday rates different?
- How do we submit and track requests, and do you provide photos or notes on completed work?
- Will you receive, store and rack equipment we ship, and is there a charge for storage?
- What liability do you accept if a technician makes a mistake on our equipment?
How it differs from field support
Remote hands is performed by the data center operator’s staff, inside that facility, on equipment in your space there. Field support sends technicians, usually from a third-party provider, to your offices, branches, retail sites or other locations to install, repair or replace equipment. Many organizations use both: remote hands for colocated equipment and field support for everything else.