Dutch colocation provider NorthC data centers, the largest data center operator in the Netherlands, has created a single virtual data center that connects NorthC’s ten data center facilities. The integrated IP/optical data center interconnect solution was deployed by Nokia and Infradata.
The 10 data center sites have a combined floor area of nearly 60,000 m2 and a 44-megawatt power capacity. The ‘Region Connect Ring’ delivered by Nokia and Infradata form a single virtual data center where clients may access data, applications, data connections, and cloud services from any NorthC data center.
Nokia’s IP/optical system combines high-performance 7750 Service Routers with high-capacity 1830 Photonic Service Switches, as well as network automation. NorthC can increase the speed and reliability of its clients’ data center connections by providing Layer 2 IP/MPLS interconnection services between its data centers to fulfill their bandwidth, latency, and performance requirements.
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“Nokia and its partner Infradata have enabled us to implement the best solution for our Region Connect Ring,” said Mario Hangjas, Senior Director Information Technology for NorthC. “The digital transformation of the Netherlands economy and the growing role of regions within it means there is a growing demand for local data centers and for high speed, reliable connectivity between regions. The Region Connect Ring allows customers to directly access network and cloud services that are not available in their own region.”
Software Defined Network
The Nokia Network Services Platform (NSP), a software-defined network automation solution that allows NorthC to manage its colocation client connections and data center connectivity, was already in place. As a consequence, NorthC can increase response times and shorten service delivery times to hours rather than days, allowing clients to operate at maximum capacity at all times, expanding and scaling connections as needed.
“We are proud to be an approved Nokia partner to offer our customers industry-leading IP, optical, data center and network automation technology,” said Mohamed El Haddouchi, Group CTO of Infradata. “Our partnership with Nokia means that we can offer data center, cloud, and interconnection providers a wider choice of innovative solutions and support services to meet their current and future needs. As an independent provider of advanced cloud networking and managed services to the Dutch market, we are pleased to add Nokia to our portfolio of best-of-breed solutions.”
“Data center providers increasingly need the highest capacity and reliability combined with the lowest latency for their interconnect networks to provide the most responsive cloud services for their customers,” said Mark Vanderhaegen, Director of Webscale Accounts at Nokia. “Nokia’s IP/optical data center interconnection and automation capabilities, together with Infradata’s support services, will enable NorthC Datacenters to quickly deliver the cloud connectivity its customers need to enable the digital transformation of their businesses.”
