The DataRoom London selects Geo Networks as connectivity provider

Geo Networks (Geo) has announced a 10 year contract with new media data centre, The DataRoom London (DataRoom). Geo is to provide dark fibre to south London-based DataRoom, linking it to Geo’s 3,000km network to facilitate connectivity to over 100 data centres and media hubs such as Chiswick Park, MediaCityUK and Dublin’s The Digital Hub.

DataRoom, a brand new media-specific data centre in the Royal Woolwich Arsenal, is a collaboration between existing storage facility Stockroom London and digital media service provider ChilliBean. Whilst StockRoom London will continue to provide ultra-secure space for the archiving and storage of film, tapes, data drives, documents and related items, DataRoom has been constructed to provide a central access point for post-production and special effects companies to render content, alongside staple data centre services such as disaster recovery, server virtualisation and co-location.

Director at DataRoom, Peter Godden, believes that DataRoom will fulfil a niche in the market: “We have allocated an initial 10,000 square feet with the necessary power and connectivity for VFX and post companies to locate and engineer their render farm and storage infrastructure served by SLAs and tariffs designed to meet their specific needs. Having archive storage facilities and space for other technical operations alongside will complement the DataRoom service”.

Both Stockroom London and DataRoom are on the site of the former British Library book repository in Woolwich’s Royal Arsenal. Geo has extended its network from Greenwich a further 3km to new Crossrail hotspot Woolwich, using its agreement with Thames Water to deploy the fibre through the sewers. As well as providing complete diversity from other networks, the depth and security of the fibre virtually eliminates disruption from street works. It has also provided DataRoom with a direct point-to-point connection to TeleHouse West data centre in Docklands.

“We chose Geo for two reasons: firstly because of its innovative fibre location in the sewers which affords it excellent up-time records; and secondly because it could give us dark fibre to manage ourselves. This means that we can light additional bandwidth as and when our data centre customer base grows,” continued Godden. “A traditional managed service, on a fibre-by-fibre cost basis, would have restricted our ability to offer our customers a cost-effective solution and space outside of the city. Now we can be a truly competitive alternative.”

Geo’s Media Sales Director, Will Pitt, knows that scalable, secure fibre is critical to the success of DataRoom: “By using Geo’s fibre, customers of DataRoom will have access to the UK & Ireland’s newest optic fibre network and have the freedom to buy dark fibre or managed services from any location. That will enable up to multi-terabit scalability, which is perfect for the demands being placed on those companies involved in the sector, who need to do what they do faster, with a focus on optimal quality and reliability”.