Basefarm opens new Oslo data centre, provides solid base for mission critical

“Colocation and data centre services are a part of Basefarm’s core business,” explains Erik de Jager, VP Data Centre Services at Basefarm, which was founded in 2000 in Norway as a specialist in high-availability managed hosting.

“Basefarm has unique qualities, with these we expanded into foreign markets. We went first out to Sweden in 2003. Then in 2010, we entered the Dutch market. Recently, we acquired a company called The Unbelievable Machine Company, so we're now also represented in Germany and Austria. As we progress, we always want to improve continuously, whilst maintaining all qualities. We aim to be specialists in our field.”

As a Dutchman, de Jager originally came on board in 2009 to help establish the company’s Amsterdam office. Over the years, he has held several roles within the company, both in the Netherlands and in Norway, before beginning his current role at the beginning of 2017. “I came back to Norway again having been given the opportunity of further developing the colocation services for Basefarm Norway,” he explains.

High-end services, 24/7

With the current rise of data centres, especially in Norway, colocation is hotter than ever. As such, the need for high quality data centres providing flexible solutions has never been greater.

Edge computing and IoT solutions put high demands on computing infrastructure that exists close to the sources of data. Basefarm's newly opened datacentre in Oslo is designed and built for tomorrow's demands. The new centre called OSL5, is the largest data centre with tier III standard in the greater Oslo area with a data floor surface of 6,000 sqm. The centre is fully redundant and certified to all important security standards. “The business of our customers relies not only on our stability but also our efficiency,” remarks de Jager. Basefarm gives clients access to modern, secure and environmentally friendly data centre capacity centrally located in the Oslo area.

“In this facility, we have ample place for colocation customers and ourselves, of course, because we want the best data centre services available for our own managed services as well. This facility has the same values as any other Basefarm service – deliver high-end services, be constructive as well as close to our customers and do this with dedication,” observes de Jager. “That means that even customers who have the most critical systems and a need for 24/7 service and security with 100% uptime will find a great partner in Basefarm.”

Green Energy

Norway is known as a supplier of clean energy and it is no secret that this is becoming increasingly important worldwide. Using hydro power and boasting environmental certification (ISO14001), Basefarm takes its responsibilities seriously. “It is essential to demonstrate both externally and internally that we respect and care about the environment,” de Jager explains.

Security, too, is an essential part of Basefarm’s offering. “Of course, we provide all physical security to make sure nothing stops or interferes with the operation of the centre, but we also specialise in security of our operational service – meaning our routines and workflows, digital threats. Security is in our DNA,” says de Jager. 

A pioneering provider

As with any business, Basefarm’s customers are at the heart of its operations and the company takes great pride in the service it offers. “The services which we offer on top are in the same line – treating all of our customers as unique and giving them full service as opposed to just giving them a key and wishing them good luck. We are rated number one in service delivery by Whitelane for a reason,” states de Jager.

“What is unique about Basefarm's offering is that we are, as mentioned, not only a colocation provider but we also have a managed service department. It means that we can integrate. For example, if a customer needs data centre space and services from our centres, and also has a need to have storage as a service or backup as a service, we can actually arrange those services for them. If they have an interest in cloud solutions, we can build hybrid solutions straight from the data centre out to the cloud.”

See also:

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• Moammar Information Systems: Integrating an unrivalled IT legacy that lasts
• Inside a clean-sheet digital transformation of a multinational telco VEON with CTO Yogesh Malik​​​​​​​

Modular building

This adjustability of Basefarm’s solutions is also applied to the way it constructs its facilities. “There is a very high degree of flexibility because of the way Basefarm builds data centres. This means that 4,500 sqm is still available for the customers. It gives tremendous flexibility for people having special wishes. This could be anything. It could be customers that wish odd shaped spaces, some have a desire to be extra close to communication lines, or customers that do not want to be close to outside walls. Anything will be possible. Also, construction of EMP solutions is a viable option. It's also quite a good way to ensure that customers don't get burdened with too much investment,” de Jager notes.

Continuous expansion

Whilst Basefarm already offers an impressive amount of solutions to its clients, the company is keenly focused on what it can offer in the years to come. “The long-term vision is always in focus because customers, while they need a place to reside their data, at some point, they will also need to look at future technology and how to service their customers better. If you look at large oil companies or banks who reside in our centres as colocation customers, several are already looking to transform to data driven enterprises,” de Jager advises. “They're looking at artificial intelligence, they're looking at the cloud. These are things that are normally not associated with colocation. For Basefarm, this is also core business.”  

Assisting clients with those additional services is a key goal for Basefarm in the upcoming years. “There’s a huge demand at the moment so we're looking to fulfil that demand and build out our data centre to house all grade customers,” de Jager adds. “Our dream is, of course, to integrate this with all the other cool stuff that Basefarm does. As I mentioned, clients want to move to the cloud or get involved in big data or artificial intelligence. We would like to be there for our customers. We don't want to just expand the data centre, we want to expand our services. We can really make a difference in the strategies of companies we're housing and helping them achieve their goals.”