Dataplex brochure - 2017

DATAPLEX IRELAND THE DIGITAL LANDLORD PROJECT SPONSOR

DATAPLEX IRELAND THE DIGITAL LANDLORD Written by: Nell Walker Produced by: Lewis Vaughan

> Dataplex Ireland’s CEO, Eddie Kilbane, describes the ways in which the business overcame adversity to become a recognised choice for global giants, with simplified IT and strong partnerships

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ataplex Ireland is a newcomer to the data centre world and is already making itself known, having acquired worldleading businesses as clients and becoming the greenest data centre company in Ireland.

Eddie Kilbane is the CEO and co-founder of the company, and has watched Dataplex flourish since 2009; the business signed its first client in 2012, in the B10 Data Centre in North west Dublin. Among other things, this signing allowed it to showcase its Green Energy cooling solution, a deployment that was years in advance of any other data centre in Europe.

A turning point for the visibility of the business came when Dataplex won a contract in 2015 with a large global operator. “Having somebody on board with an internationally recognisable brand name gave it the validation through the global operator’s due diligence which we were struggling to get elsewhere,” says Kilbane. “The global operator’s data centre team was extremely tough and thorough in terms of their processes, so by winning that contract, we had an

example to show other customers.”

Kilbane has a long history in the construction industry, as part of a management team on large projects such as Chelsea Harbour, Canary Wharf, and the Channel Tunnel.

Whilst developing vast amounts of construction and communication network experience and gaining contacts, Kilbane saw the deregulation of the telecommunications market in Ireland as an opportunity to establish a company that would provide a turnkey solution of design, wayleave, construction and commission for the new telecomunications carriers.

More companies would be moving to the country to build a new cable and telecoms industry, and in 1998, he moved his family there from the UK to become a part of it.

While the inclusion of a global operator as a client did provide Dataplex with much-needed weight in the industry, it is elements of the company from within that have created the rising star it is today. For example, thanks to the temperate climate in Ireland, Dataplex maintains and operates the greenest data

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‘The company people want to work for and with’ Established in early 2005, Ethos Engineering is Ireland’s largest dedicated MEP consultancy. An award winning practice, winning Ireland’s Consultancy of the Year Award for three years running (2015, 2016, 2017), CIBSE’s coveted Employer of the Year Award and winner of the ACE European CEO Award 2016.

Ethos Engineering is recognised as the leading MEP consultancy for Mission Critical projects. To date, we have over 550 MW of Data Centre designs completed in Ireland and Europe for a range of the world’s top software and colocation providers.

Ethos Engineering is the Irish member of the First Q Network with direct access to over 2,500 engineers and technical knowledge sharing across 12 European countries “Ethos Engineering is a solid, trusted partner for design, pre and post contract” Dataplex Ireland’s CEO, Eddie Kilbane

‘People, Relationships and Quality’

www.ethoseng.ie

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centre business in the country.

“We’re using a system to bring the cold air into the server room to cool it,” Kilbane explains. “In the middle of June it’s still 14 to 19 degrees outside, and these are not temperatures you’re going to see in many other parts of Europe. We’re lucky to have this weather for our business.”

Sustainability is an ever-present issue and a factor that can make or break a choice for a customer, and Dataplex’s green status certainly allows it a competitive edge, “but ultimately it’s a combination,” Kilbane says. “Certainly, green capabilities are important to hyperscale companies who are looking at Ireland because the power availability and climate mean they don’t have to run very large cooling solutions. So it’s definitely a factor, but it’s no one thing that brings companies to Ireland.

They make a huge difference to our economy by providing resources, and they become a catalyst for other companies to move closer to the source of these data centres.”

“We’ve seen a rise in technology companies coming in and clustering

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“We’ve rolled back what our technology does, switching to a simpler method.

We’ve got to make sure our clients can’t get touched, and that they know there’s no chance of someone hacking in and shutting us down” EDDIE KILBANE, CEO

around data centres. In this business park, we have PayPal, Xerox and Vertis, amongst others: all very good, strong breeds of companies who then feed off having this data centre local to them.”

Simplified technology Another huge aspect of what makes Dataplex an attractive choice is

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THE CRITICAL COOLING INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

EDPAC design and manufacture a full range of precision air conditioning equipment for the Datacentre, telecommunications, speciality storage and building service markets. EDPAC has been supplying products to a worldwide client base for nearly 50 years.

Currently EDPAC are on site with some of the global industry’s largest and high profile Datacentre and collocation providers implementing large scale custom built Free cooling solutions.

In recent years we have diversified into carrying out large scale Legacy datacentre CRAC unit and AHU upgrades. And have retrofitted modern components including EC Fans, VSD Compressors and Controls upgrades.

Retrofitting energy efficient technology can reduce legacy data center cooling costs by up to 90% with minimal disruption to your data halls.

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CONSTRUCTION

its stripped-back approach to technology. In Kilbane’s words, “we’ve made our systems dumb,” meaning that the business offers a solid and reliable ‘vanilla’ service.

“My business is purely to support the real technology, which is the client’s business,” he continues.

“We are a technical landlord – as data centre operators, we don’t operate any data.”

Dataplex simply offers the infrastructure which allows the data to flow. Its data centres sit in a silo; no information can be broadcast, ensuring a safe haven for customers.

In the event of a malware attack, Dataplex doesn’t have to worry about vulnerability because its building systems and servers are not connected to the internet.

“If we don’t connect to the internet, the internet can’t talk to us,” says Kilbane. “We’ve got to make sure our clients can’t get touched, and that they know there’s no chance of someone hacking in and shutting us down. We’ve rolled back what our technology does, switching to a simpler method. This is one

Dublin The location of Dataplex Ireland HQ

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“My business is purely to support the real technology, which is the client’s business, we are a technical landlord – as data centre operators, we don’t operate any data” EDDIE KILBANE, CEO

aspect of the business clients don’t have to worry about, so they can concentrate on their own data.”

To allay any concerns regarding this process, Dataplex even allowed its larger customers to send their security teams to validate the security process put in place by Dataplex.

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As an extra level of support, Dataplex offers resilient N+1 specification, meaning that for every single plug a client requires, a second plug that matches it is independently cabled and wired back the main power. Everything becomes dual-powered, and that service is

enabled at all times, even during a service, meaning no downtime.

Dataplex’s youth as a company is among the reasons it has thrived so well even after a slow beginning.

With the lack of the ball-andchain of legacy systems behind it, Dataplex can be especially flexible.

“We’re not carrying any baggage, so we’re able to be a bit more daring,” says Kilbane. “We have to be different and push small buttons – enough that attractive companies come to us.”

In some ways, Dataplex has already proven itself to have industrychanging potential. In terms of the

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cool air technology the company uses to save energy, “there was nobody doing that in 2012 when we started off, so we were quite ‘out there’, and we’ve continued to stay out there in terms of innovation with our suppliers. As a small company, that’s one of the differentiators we have in the market that attracted clients like the global operators to our front door, as opposed to our competition which may be more traditionalist.”

Concrete partnerships None of this would have been possible without Dataplex’s trusted internal partners. Dornan Engineering enables the business to build what it needs to precise, well-negotiated specifications, allowing the best possible flexibility and speed to market.

“Dornan even represented us at meetings early on, pitching business and working with our customers,”

Kilbane says. “They’re very much a partner rather than a contractor, and clients can be assured that they don’t have to wait three to six months for us to find a contractor – we already have one on board. It creates a very strong partnership.”

Anord is Dataplex’s panel manufacturer and has also been working with the business since the start, ensuring deliveries are simple and smooth. EDPAC is the cooling partner creating bespoke solutions to a consistent quality, Schneider provides UPS’s and goes the extra mile for Dataplex regardless of its size as a company, and Ethos Engineering is a solid, trusted partner for design, pre and post-contract.

This combination of reliable partnerships, high levels of innovation, and stable, simplified service will undoubtedly serve Dataplex well to create a bright future for Kilbane and his team.

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UNIT B10, BALLYCOOLIN BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY PARK, BLANCHARDSTOWN, DUBLIN 15, IRELAND www.dataplex.ie