Data Center Locations: Europe
Netherlands
Unlike the tulip, the symbolic perennial of the Netherlands, the data center industry has enjoyed year-round long-term success based on its attitude to business, says Michiel Eielts, managing director of Equinix Netherlands
A destination of choice Equinix entered the Dutch market following its 2008 acquisition of Virtu Secure Webservices. Serving both multinationals and local businesses, the company has since taken advantage of Amsterdam’s available space and robust power supplies (most notably wind generated power) to expand its operations in line with market need.
The Netherlands - perfect for a blooming industry
Today, Equinix operates two state-of-the- art International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers located on a single campus in Amsterdam, as well as additional facilities in Zwolle and Enschede.
Since the 16th Century, the Netherlands has been a key center for world trade. Its strategic location – at the gateway to continental Europe – together with its belief in free trade have helped the country quickly establish itself as one of Europe’s strongest economies.
These characteristics still hold fast today. The Netherlands boasts the world’s 16th largest economy and is the EU’s second most prosperous nation, with GDP per inhabitant 30% above the EU average (figures from Eurostat, December 2010).
This vibrant economy is home to both home-grown blue-chip companies such as Unilever, Philips and ING, as well as many multinational companies that have opted to base their European operations in the country. Ernst & Young estimates that more than 400 North American firms – from small- to mid-sized businesses to giants such as Cisco Systems – have chosen to locate their European headquarters in the Netherlands.
The Dutch advantage There are many reasons why business thrives in the Netherlands. Its geographic location makes it a magnet for firms targeting all EU markets, while its established infrastructure – seaports, airports, plus rail, road and telecommunications networks – only adds to the attraction.
A politically and economically stable country, the Netherlands also offers an extremely supportive environment for business. In
stark contrast to legislation introduced by other nations its progressive
corporate tax
structure appeals to foreign investors with, for example, the Dutch participation exemption (deelnemingsvrijstelling) ensuring that all dividends and capital gains generated by Dutch-based subsidiaries are tax free.
The Netherlands in the digital age Today the Internet underpins the operations of nearly all businesses, regardless of their size or sector. To compete in this digital age it’s vital that organizations have access to high-speed, ultra-reliable connectivity solutions. Here, once again, the Netherlands has a distinct advantage.
One of the most network-rich countries in the world, the Netherlands has direct access to several submarine communication cable systems delivering low-latency links to other European nations, North America and beyond.
In addition, the Dutch telecom market is one of the most progressive and competitive in the world, with numerous fiber deployments. Amsterdam is also home to AMS-IX, the world’s largest single metro area internet exchange, offering solutions to 397 internet service providers, carriers and mobile operators as well as all kinds of content and application providers.
All of these factors combine to make the Netherlands a very viable option not just for doing business but also for locating new-build data centers.
The Netherlands is a strategic location for Equinix. Demand for high specification colocation space is growing, particularly as firms struggle to justify the capital expense of building their own facilities.
This demand is both from high growth firms, especially in internet-reliant industries such as digital media, cloud and gaming, as well as from major corporations. These organizations also demand access to the broadest range of network solutions (Equinix can connect to 51 networks and via its Amsterdam Campus offers direct access to AMS-IX).
In the Netherlands, the role of the outsourced data center has become even more important as the Dutch Government increases focus on reducing CO2
emissions. The recent
Multiple Year Energy Efficiency Agreement (Meerjarenafspraak Energie Efficientie) encourages more efficient industry practices, but the rate of innovation in the data center means that
only specialist providers can
realistically keep track with the latest ‘green’ technologies such as free cooling and hot- aisle/cold-aisle configurations.
The Netherlands is not just an attractive market for global brands. Its pro-business culture, together with a highly-skilled workforce, benefits organizations of all sizes. Network operators, digital media firms, cloud providers, financial services companies and enterprises are increasingly looking to data center services to help support their operations. n
www.datacenterdynamics.com
33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56