In Wallonia, NRB, one of the Belgian leaders in the ICT sector, and Etix Everywhere, an international data centre manufacturer & operator, have joined forces to develop a new shared data centre, BelgiumDC. Ultimately, the project is planning 900 m2 of computer space for a total power of 900 kVA.
The project provides for the construction of three 300 m2 300 kVA modules. The works started in March 2017. The first module - offering a capacity of 100 computer bays - will be ready in October 2017. The investment for the first phase of this Data centre, including the building which should house the following two modules, represents a total of €4.2 million co-financed by NRB and Etix Everywhere.
“This new Data Centre highlights the attractiveness of Wallonia for foreign investors", declares Jean-Claude Marcourt, Minister of Economy and Digital Sector. This partnership between an international player and a local player, which is part of a long-term commitment, highlights our region's potential and its ability to capture opportunities. This is one of the priority objectives of Wallonia's digital strategy 'Digital Wallonia'."
"This major investment is part of NRB's proactive strategy in the field of cloud", explains Pascal Laffineur, CEO of NRB. "We are offering our customers tailor-made Cloud solutions: we select the best ICT environment available for them. Also, with the construction of this new Data Centre, we are taking a further step towards a more intelligent computer infrastructure, because it is automated and coordinated by intelligent software (Software Defined Data Center (SDDC))."
Along with its current Data Centres, based in Herstal, namely 30 km from BelgiumDC, and the dark fibre connecting the two sites, NRB will be even better able to ensure premium business continuity plans (BCP). Etix Everywhere will market straightforward hosting services for customers looking for a space for their servers that offers the very best performance and security conditions on the market.
Thus, the Data Centre remains neutral: customers are free to work with the service providers of their choice for all the ICT services they wish to benefit from.
Innovation constitutes a key value for both partner companies. "We wanted a partner who shared our innovation vision" declared Thierry Engels, Infrastructure Manager at NRB. "We saw in Etix Everywhere the assurance of a cutting-edge Data Centre that meets our customers' high standards."
Etix Everywhere's ambition is to develop an international network of homogeneous and interconnected Data Centres in order to offer a shared service of the same quality all over the world. Thus, BelgiumDC customers will be able to benefit from IT capacity throughout the Etix Everywhere network at preferential rates.
"In parallel to the BelgiumDC project, we are in the process of building a Data Centre in Lille. This territorial network will help to create development opportunities for enterprises on both sides of the border", explains Louis Blanchot, French Sales Director for Etix Everywhere.
