COUNTRY FOCUS : BELGIUM
Ogy Smet , CTO , Datacenter United believed the fact that there is only one national grid operator in the country meant achieving a Tier IV- Certified data centre would be impossible .
So to separate itself from competitors , demonstrate its continued innovation and prove its ability to meet these critical customer demands , Datacenter United set out to do the ‘ impossible ’ and earn a Tier IV Certification of Constructed Facility ( TCCF ) for its Antwerp Datacenter .
Solution
Datacenter United ’ s team worked closely with Uptime throughout the entire project to bring Belgium its first and only Tier IV data centre . From the earliest stages of the Antwerp data centre Tier Certification of Design Documents , Datacenter United took the time to understand the criteria involved in achieving Tier IV fault tolerance and worked diligently to make it a reality .
In July 2021 , the team began pursuing the Antwerp data centre Tier IV TCCF in earnest and prepared with countless tests and dry runs in the months leading up to the certification evaluations . The official demonstrations took place between December 2021 and early 2022 .
Along the way , Uptime ’ s personnel were available to answer questions and provide direction for the Datacenter United team . The teams worked together through challenges such as delays with the completion of a cooling unit , small infrastructure adjustments with significant repercussions and more . The Datacenter United team attributes its ability to overcome unforeseen challenges throughout the certification process to constant communication , collaboration , creativity and flexibility from both sides . commitment to digital infrastructure excellence and inspire confidence and interest among current and future customers . Now operating Belgium ’ s first and only facility – and one of a select group in Europe – to earn Uptime Institute ’ s Tier IV TCCF , the company has achieved those goals .
The certification , as well as the work required to accomplish it , are already paying dividends . Both current and prospective customers have taken notice and Datacenter United ’ s sales and marketing teams are using its new Tier IV Certification as a unique differentiator to expand its visibility across Europe and abroad . The certification journey has been a highly educational and transformative process for the operations and service delivery professionals involved and for the company itself . As a result , the team gained valuable expertise , tremendous confidence in its facility and a clear understanding of how its infrastructure will fair under a broad range of operating conditions , including worst-case scenarios .
Datacenter United sees the value of Tier Certification as undeniable and intends to work with Uptime on future projects as it continues to strengthen its position as a leading provider of high-quality , reliable proximity data centre services in Belgium and beyond .
Ogy Smet , CTO , Datacenter United and Friso Haringsma , CEO , Datacenter United , offer further insight into the collaboration with Uptime Institute and the benefits this has brought to the business .
What does it mean to be CTO of one of the leading providers of carrier-neutral colocation data centre services in Belgium ?
The company ’ s Accredited Tier Specialists ( ATS ) and Accredited Operations Specialist ( AOS ) were heavily involved , applying extensive digital infrastructure design , management and operations expertise from Uptime training courses throughout the process . Datacenter United ’ s final facility demonstrations were a resounding success and Uptime Institute awarded the official Tier IV TCCF in February 2022 .
“ The value this Tier Certification conveys to current and prospective customers is incredible and the growth in expertise the process produced throughout our operations and service delivery team is priceless ,” said Ogy Smet , CTO , Datacenter United .
Impact
Datacenter United started this process to differentiate itself from competing data centres , demonstrate its
Smet : “ I ’ m very proud to be in this position and to have had the opportunity to help build our company into the industry leader it is today and lay the groundwork for future growth . To be able to grow past the competition in size and through Uptime Certification is an extraordinary achievement that brings great pride .”
How has the new Antwerp site raised the bar for digital infrastructure quality and reliability in Belgium and how has Uptime Institute determined this ?
Smet : “ As Antwerp is the first and only Tier IV facility in the country , there truly is no enterprise company that can claim it delivers the best-of-the-best standards and not be a customer . For the competition , shortcuts are no longer acceptable . The pressure is now on competitors to catch up to the point where they can deliver the highest level of services like we do today . Despite many
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