Location, location, location

Earlier this year, I was asked what are the three most important factors to consider when building a new data centre. My answer (to borrow an old phrase from the property market) was simple: location, location, location.

In fact, the question was rather timely since we had just expanded one of our key data centre sites – Netherlands 3.

There are many reasons to choose a location, from power supply, to labour pool or access to water. Here at Colt we made a strategic decision to build a 10,000m2 data centre right in the heart of Europe.

Why?

There were three major factors behind our decision:

1. Because having a local data centre is important to our customers. From Rotterdam to Antwerp our customers have little choice in quality colocation and have been forced to locate in Amsterdam or elsewhere. Now our customers can access data centre facilities within commutable distance and a well-run, efficient and quality facility as an alternative or back up facility to Amsterdam.
2. Because this part of the Netherlands connects four major European cities – Amsterdam, Brussels, Rotterdam and Antwerp via road and rail networks – which means teams can travel to and from the meeting facilities here without the expense of going into the city.
3. Because the site is located in one of the few areas of the country that is well above sea level – adding an additional level of resilience to the already impressive specs that provide a level of security that even our most risk averse customers choose to rely on.

Most important of all is what our customers tell us they want:

• They need their data to be accessible – not hidden away where it is difficult to reach.
• They want to be able to come and see for themselves just how secure their data really is.
• They also want to understand how the on-site technology is working on their behalf – whether that is the N+1 or N+N power generators, the carrier neutral facilities or Colt’s ftec modular design that allows them to change their requirements as their businesses change.

It’s all here at Netherlands 3. Why not take a look for yourself?

Is location essential to your data centre planning? Leave a comment below or get in touch to find how easy it is to access all of Colt’s European data centres.