Flexibility without compromise

Q How will the newly launched Optimum Data Centres look to
succeed in what is an already busy market?
A Organisations are now seeking to reduce costs whilst still maintaining operational integrity and flexibility within their long-term strategic aims. At Optimum, we believe a new, more flexible solutions-based approach to the market place is required. Understanding the strategic business requirement of the end user is essential.

Our aim for 2013 is to provide this to our customers through a combination of high quality data centre space, modular, scalable IT solutions and flexible financial packages. It is our belief that this will address the challenges our customers are facing without compromising their business and operational needs.
Q Optimum is a relatively new name in the data centre market
place. What are the origins of the company?
A The team behind Optimum has an unrivalled track record in the design, construction and operation of state of the art data centres dating back to 1997, which includes both the Global Switch and Sentrum portfolios. Such was the success of the latter, that in July 2012 Digital Realty, a US REIT, acquired three of Sentrum’s data centres together with the brand. Following the sale, the remainder of the original Sentrum portfolio (comprising facilities in Rugby and Hayes) was rebranded as Optimum.
Q Why did you choose Hayes for your London data centre? Is this
facility a greenfield or brownfield development?
A The Hayes facility was originally built as the primary data centre for an international bank. It is a brownfield development which is nearing completion of a full site refurbishment.

In addition to the recently refurbished halls, there is also future expansion space for bespoke data hall solutions. The freehold purchase of the site was completed in January 2013.
Q In general terms, what does Hayes offers that makes it such a
good location?
A Situated within the perimeter of the M25, the Hayes facility provides perfect Disaster Recovery distance separation for many centrally located headquarters, whilst maintaining low fibre distances which can impact latency and cost.
Excellent local transportation hubs allow for direct access to central London in only 20 minutes and international access in 10 minutes via Heathrow airport. Major motorways such as the M25, M3, M4 and M40 provide easy access to the rest of the country.
Q What are the USPs that
you believe distinguish
Optimum from its
competitors and their
offerings?
A We believe there are a number of differentiators which set us apart from the competition. Our heritage and the team’s track record enables us to offer our clients an unsurpassed level of knowledge and experience which is invaluable both in the delivery and ongoing operation of mission-critical data centre solutions.
We have a flexible and dynamic methodology not only in terms of our offering but also in the delivery of our solutions and our commercial approach. Fundamentally it’s about delivering what the customer wants to their exact specification, on time and on budget. We are committed to offering innovative solutions that meet both the current and future demands of our clients whilst ensuring that the technologies deployed are ‘tried and tested’ so that the resilience of our data centres is never compromised.
From a financial perspective, unlike many of our competitors, we own the freehold to all our facilities, and the recent acquisition has provided long term financial stability as well as opportunities for future development.
In addition Optimum boasts its own design and construction team. This enables rapid speed to market whilst reducing overall construction costs which is passed on to our customers via our competitive pricing structure.
Q Power and cooling are seen as, perhaps, the crucial
differentiators between data centres – what’s the Optimum
approach to these at Hayes?
A They are a differentiator, but not critical in our view. The Hayes solution is at the current power level of 1250W/sqm, accepted as the best estimate of current sensible load with a margin for growth. Too low and the hall is in danger of being out grown in a short period of time but too large and the hall is not cost effective. Tier 3 is also considered to be the ‘smart choice’ in resilience within the UK and this has been the minimum target level at Hayes, although for concurrent maintainability this has been exceeded in some instances.
Q Physical security is also important – what does the Hayes facility offer on this score?
A The security at Hayes is of a very high standard and is List X compliant. The facility is monitored 24 x 7 by a dedicated on site security team and boasts 3m high security spiked perimeter fencing, vehicle locks, bomb blast walls and biometric security within its defences.
Q Connectivity is seen as another crucial aspect of any data centre – what does the Hayes facility offer now, and are there plans to grow this?
A As a carrier neutral operator, we believe it is essential to ensure that our clients have access to a wide range of choice and the latest developments in technology.
From a connectivity perspective, the facility is ideally located with direct links to the Chi-X trading platform in nearby Slough and benefits from multiple major fibre providers to site. We have seen connectivity requirements change rapidly over the years and will continue to develop our fibre solutions to ensure all of our customer requirements are exceeded.
Q Can you also tell us a bit about the Optimum approach to fire
detection / suppression?
A Optimum’s approach to fire detection is simple; prevention is better than cure. Detection is required in all areas, double knock in UPS rooms and data halls with additional VESDA for non Cause & Effect alarms and early warning inspections. Fire suppression is added to the UPS rooms and data halls as standard and in our Hayes facility this comprises sprinklers to data halls and gas to the UPS rooms.
Q What about the Building Management System?
A Our BMS approach is built around monitoring only which means the BMS can provide full control logic to the M&E systems but must do it locally with standalone and redundant intelligence. The main cross connection and networking of the system is for monitoring only to aid the maintenance and continual inspection of the systems. The PC’s and networks can be fully removed and the individual M&E systems will continue to function as designed. BMS is clearly one of the tools in our Facilities Management team’s armoury but it does not replace the eyes and ears of experienced personnel.
Q Can you talk us through the way you work with a potential client
to help them achieve their ‘optimum’ data centre environment?
A At Optimum we believe that it is essential to thoroughly understand all aspects of each individual client’s requirements from the outset. This requires a collaborative approach, enabling both parties to operate as a partnership from conception through to delivery of the solution. At each phase of the journey, our dedicated in-house technical design and construction team works closely with the client to ensure that all of their strategic goals are met.
Q Specifically, what types of solution are available within an
Optimum facility?
A Whatever the business requirements, Optimum has the ideal data centre solution to meet all our prospective customers’ needs. This could be a bespoke data suite fully customised to an individual specification; a scalable data suite designed to dynamically adapt to their business needs; a caged data suite for a smaller requirement or even a dedicated standalone data centre. The business environment in which we all operate remains difficult to predict so flexibility has never been so important. We believe that it’s not just about finding a solution that fits the business today, but that it’s also about ensuring it can be efficiently scaled up or down as customer demands evolve.
Q How does the design/consultancy phase work?
A Our core philosophy is that it’s the people in the process that make the difference, not the process itself. Our team’s experience and expertise mean that we are able to offer a consultative approach in every aspect of the solution delivery and operation.
Design is a key phase in the process. Our team includes architects, M&E designers, security and BMS consultants who work closely with our client’s team to find and deliver the solution which best meets their exact requirements.
Q Does Optimum offer any help in terms of financing?
A As a privately owned organisation with an entrepreneurial approach and significant investor backing, Optimum is well placed to offer a range of OPEX solutions. Moreover, in addition to owning and operating a growing portfolio of data centres, we continually seek investment opportunities within the technical real estate sector, both in the UK and internationally.
Given the current financial climate, there is a trend in the market place for corporations to impose strict austerity measures to drive down operational cost. There is a real understanding that whilst there are opportunities to reduce current lease agreements, there are often internal restrictions on large Capex expenditure, in spite of the immediate operational cost savings that could be achieved.

In this instance we can offer a financial package that will not only offset infrastructure costs but also help to manage full migration costs over the term of the lease.
Q What about helping to manage a customer’s migration into the
Optimum data centre?
A At Optimum, we understand the mission-critical nature of our clients’ IT system availability. Our detailed approach leaves nothing to chance and ensures all potential business and operational risks are mitigated.
Our in-house migration team has a wealth of experience in managing IT relocations from a single server to large complex infrastructures comprising of server, SAN, networks, and telephony. Our project team can manage all aspects of the operation from conception and
definition, planning and logistics, preparation and scheduling
through to execution and closure.
Q What’s the Optimum roadmap in terms of constructing other data centres across the UK?
A We are committed to growing our UK portfolio. With our Rugby site fully let, all of our efforts are currently focused on completing the refurbishment at Hayes. We envisage opening our second metro data centre in late 2015.
Q In summary, what can we expect from Optimum over the next 12-18 months?
A Even with the current market conditions, we believe there is still a healthy demand for data centre space in the UK and we will continue to see growth within the next 12-18 months.

Over this period, it is our aim to ensure that Optimum Data Centres is the leader in the provision of data centre solutions to the UK
mid-tier market.