Remote Hands
Remote Hands is a data center and service provider offering in which on-site technical staff perform physical operations on equipment at the customer’s request. The service is used when the customer cannot or does not need to be physically present at the data center but must carry out tasks involving server or network hardware.
Remote Hands is a standard practice in enterprise and B2B infrastructures, especially in colocation environments. It allows companies to manage infrastructure in data centers worldwide without maintaining local teams or sending specialists on-site.
Purpose of the Remote Hands Service
The primary purpose of Remote Hands is to provide physical access to equipment without requiring the customer’s presence. Data center technicians perform actions strictly according to the customer’s instructions and within predefined procedures.
For businesses, this reduces operational costs and increases flexibility. Companies can deploy equipment in remote data centers without building local IT teams or arranging travel for technical staff.
What Tasks Are Covered by Remote Hands
Remote Hands includes a wide range of standard hardware-related tasks. In most cases, technicians perform basic, well-defined operations that do not require complex design or configuration.
Typical Remote Hands tasks include:
- rebooting servers and network devices;
- connecting and disconnecting cables;
- replacing drives and other components according to instructions;
- visual inspection of equipment status;
- installing equipment in racks and removing it when required.
The scope and complexity of tasks depend on the specific data center’s policies and the terms of the service agreement.
Remote Hands vs. Remote Administration
Remote Hands is often confused with remote administration, but they are different services. Remote administration refers to software-level system management, while Remote Hands involves physical actions on hardware at the data center.
In real-world infrastructures, these services complement each other. Customers manage servers remotely and rely on Remote Hands technicians when physical intervention is required.
Importance of Remote Hands for Colocation and B2B Projects
For colocation customers, Remote Hands is a critical service that enables infrastructure operation without constant on-site presence. This is especially important for international projects and distributed infrastructures.
In the B2B segment, Remote Hands simplifies infrastructure scaling and maintenance, allowing rapid response to hardware incidents and timely execution of scheduled tasks.
Organization and Operational Procedures
Remote Hands tasks are performed strictly upon customer request and in accordance with approved procedures. Customers typically provide detailed instructions, including equipment identification, step-by-step actions, and completion criteria.
To ensure security, technician access to equipment is restricted, and all actions are logged and may be documented with reports or photographs. This ensures transparency and reduces operational risk.
Use Cases
Remote Hands is commonly used to replace a failed drive in a server when the customer is located in a different city or country. The data center technician performs the replacement according to instructions, while the customer continues remote administration.
Another common scenario is installing a new server in a rack, connecting power and network cables, and preparing the system for remote configuration. In these cases, Remote Hands enables rapid deployment without physical customer presence.
FAQ
Remote Hands is a service where data center staff perform physical tasks on your equipment on your behalf.
In data centers, especially in colocation environments.
Remote Hands involves physical hardware tasks, while remote administration is performed via software.
Server reboots, component replacement, cable connections, and visual inspections.
Tasks are performed under strict procedures, with restricted access and full activity logging.
