What is NOC?

NOC Definition - Indicates "Network Operations Center". This is the central location of a company's servers and network devices. The NOC can be located on a company's campus or in an external location. Smaller companies and organizations often have an internal NOC where local technicians manage and monitor servers. Larger companies may have a NOC configuration in a location specially designed to host server devices.

Network operations centers, often referred to as data centers, are almost always connected to a high-speed Internet connection. Large NOCs, such as those used by web hosting companies, are often directly connected to the Internet backbone. This offers servers the highest possible bandwidth.

Although NOCs are used by all web hosting companies and ISPs, they are also useful for companies whose services are not connected to the Internet. Many companies use a NOC to manage internal communications, manage employee email accounts and protect data. Since managing an Internet connection is critical for most businesses today, most NOCs are monitored 24 hours a day. Automatic alerts alert technicians when servers or network connections fail.