Customers in Frankfurt and the wider European market can now harness the synergy of three global industry leaders and enjoy flexible and secure low-latency colocation services
“(From Left to Right) Peter Knapp – Group Director, Europe, Global Switch; Li Qiang, Representative of DailyTech; Donald Tan – Executive Vice President of China Telecom Global; John Corcoran – CEO of Global Switch; Sun Congbin – Consul General of the People’s Republic of China; Oliver Schwebel, Managing Director of the Frankfurt Economical Department; Charlie Cao, Managing Director of China Telecom (Europe) Limited.”
In response to the growing demand for colocation services in Europe, China Telecom Global (CTG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Telecom Corporation Limited and one of the world’s largest providers of integrated telecommunication services, and Daily-Tech, a developer and operator of data centre infrastructure across China, have partnered with Global Switch, a leading owner, operator and developer of large-scale, carrier and cloud neutral data centres in Europe and Asia-Pacific, to launch the Global Switch Frankfurt North data centre.
Following the launch of two other data centres in Asia, the new Frankfurt North facility represents the first milestone in Europe to come from the strategic partnership between the three industry leaders.
The Frankfurt North data centre, an excellent example of a green data centre with energy efficiency at the heart of its design, was officially opened by Oliver Schwebel, Head of the Frankfurt Development Agency representing the City of Frankfurt and Mr. Sun Congbin, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China.
Jan Schneider, Deputy Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, said: “Frankfurt, the data capital of Germany, has data centres totalling more than 600,000 square meters that benefit from the city’s financial status and strategic location as well as having the world’s largest Internet hub DE-CIX in terms of peak traffic present. I welcome the new Frankfurt North data centre launched yesterday by Global Switch, China Telecom Global and Daily Tech. It is clear evidence of the growth of Asian businesses expanding into Germany, and will enable us to continue to drive our digital economy together here in Frankfurt.”
SUN Congbin, Consul General Of The People’s Republic Of China in Frankfurt am Main, said: “I am very excited by the launch of this new data centre. Through our Belt and Road initiative we are encouraging Chinese companies to invest internationally in order to connect people and business to grow closer together. The data centre will no doubt provide an ideal platform both in terms of resiliency and the services provided for all customers, and is an excellent example of a highly successful business relationship between Chinese and Western companies.”
The €113 million, 11,000 square metre data centre is located in Eschborner Landstraße, immediately adjacent to Global Switch’s existing Frankfurt South data centre. Offering a combined total of 28,500 square metres of gross space, the two facilities will be interconnected with a campus fibre system. They will form a key connectivity and cloud hub, providing some of the world’s leading brands with access to Deutscher Commercial Internet Exchange (DE-CIX), a wide range of international and regional carriers, ISPs and leading cloud providers.
The new data centre offers customers high density power and low PUE design. With industry-leading environmental innovations, the new facility will be one of the most energy efficient data centres in Frankfurt. Its independently verified Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of less than 1.2 is one of the lowest in the market. While targeting a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ‘Very Good’ Rating, it also features high efficiency static UPSs and an advanced Chiller Assist cooling system that uses both hybrid dry coolers and water-cooled chillers to achieve substantial free-cooling. As a result, the chillers will only need to operate for less than 10% of the year.
Powered by 14MVA of utility power supply capacity, the Frankfurt North data centre is supported by around-the-clock on-site fuel delivery. The facility is also highly secure with a network operations centre staffed 24x7x365, complete with strict access control procedures to ISO 27001, continuous CCTV surveillance and a perimeter intruder detection system (PIDS). In addition, the services offer a highly resilient environment, backed up by Global Switch’s renowned Critical Environments Programme.
With the sustainable and advanced design of the facility, network-dense and low latency connectivity, as well as expertise across Europe and Asia-Pacific, the Frankfurt North data centre will offer customers scalable, flexible and cost-effective colocation solutions and access to a wide range of-managed services to support their global business growth.
Donald Tan, Executive Vice President of China Telecom Global, said: “Frankfurt remains a connection hub in Europe and an important gateway to the continent, and that’s why we have chosen the city to play a critical role in our expansion plans in the region and in the world. In fact, the Frankfurt North data centre will become one of the key elements of China Telecom’s network and IDC resources across the globe. Our elite partner ecosystem, including our valuable partnership with Global Switch and Daily-Tech, will continue to empower our clients with customised solutions and professional services. Our global team will help them to deliver value in Europe or other parts of the world, and embrace the connected economy.”
Li Qiang, representative of Daily-Tech, said: “We are extremely excited to see our first data centre deployment in Europe coming to life. The successful launch marks a milestone in Daily-Tech’s history. It not only represents our strong commitment to the German market, but also our ambitious growth initiative. I am confident that, through our strategic partnership with China Telecom Global and Global Switch, we will continue to increase our worldwide presence and help our international clients navigate the digital ocean with innovative solutions and quality services.”
John Corcoran, CEO of Global Switch, said: “The Frankfurt North data centre is the first project in Europe under the partnership between China Telecom Global, Daily-Tech and Global Switch. The success of the Hong Kong Tseung Kwun O data centre and the Singapore Woodlands data centre have already proved the synergy of the trio. The launch of such an environmentally sustainable facility and world-class services will further reinforce our leadership in offering businesses highly resilient and secure space to house their mission critical IT equipment. We, at Global Switch, will continue to work with these trusted partners from the East to drive ongoing growth and expansion in Europe, and all over the world.”
