Modular data centre order from MTN Côte d’Ivoire

Together with its partner Leadcom, a global telecom system integrator, Flexenclosure has won a multi-million dollar tender from MTN Côte d’Ivoire for a complete 336 sqm data centre consisting of a 168 sqm switching centre, an 84 sqm energy centre and an 84 sqm hosted data centre. The data centre is to be installed and commissioned in the first quarter of 2014.

The order is part of a new strategic partnership between Flexenclosure and MTN Côte d’Ivoire for the installation of a next generation data centre in Yopougon, a municipality in the northern part of Abidjan, and will have the dual role of both a switching centre together and a data centre where MTN’s data customers can be hosted. The facility has been customised for MTN and will be delivered as a full turnkey project including civil works, installation of the eight eCentre modules, and the re-location of some existing power equipment to the new site.

eCentre is a custom designed, prefabricated data centre solution that is fast to deploy, energy efficient and easy to expand. Built in Sweden and equipped to house and power data and telecom equipment, it is fully future proof.

Leadcom Integrated Solutions, Flexenclosure’s local partner in Ivory Coast, will be responsible for the civil works portion of the project and support Flexenclosure’s specialist team in the installation and commissioning of the modules. Leadcom is a supplier of services in the fields of deployment and maintenance of cellular and wireless communications infrastructures.

Rapidly increasing market acceptance in Africa
The order from MTN Côte d’Ivoire comes hot on the heels of two similar orders from Vodacom in Mozambique.

”We are delighted to extend our long-standing relationship with MTN into another country,” said David King, CEO, Flexenclosure. ”This deal is yet another proof point for pre-fabricated solutions being the way of the future when it comes to service providers managing the on-going explosion in data traffic. eCentre’s unrivalled flexibility, reliability, scalability and speed of deployment makes it an attractive choice for operators wanting to expand network capacity fast.”

Flexenclosure has already provided more than 4,500 sqm of eCentres for MTN in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon through third-party channels, but this is the first time the company has signed a contract with MTN directly. Ivory Coast is a new market for Flexenclosure.

“As MTN Group, MTN Côte d’Ivoire works daily to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to its customers. Locally, we are switching from a traditional telephone market, based on voice and SMS, to a more mature phase where the mobile phone is increasingly used for services such as broadband Internet, money transfer and all services related to the new digital world (video on demand, tracking, etc.). To that purpose, we want the best equipment to meet those needs now and in the future”, Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of MTN Côte d’Ivoire, explained.

“The new eCentre will provide us with increased network availability, stability and geographical redundancy, and the data hosting capability will allow us to provide new value-added services to our clients,” added Jerome Curtis, General Manager Capital Programs, MTN Côte d’Ivoire. “Flexenclosure’s eCentre is a tried and tested solution in the MTN group and we are confident it is the right solution for us and for our customers in Côte d’Ivoire.”
“We are excited to be working as Flexenclosure's local partner in Cote d'Ivoire and further developing our already significant partnership with MTN,” said Ofer Ahiraz, CEO, Leadcom. ”Flexenclosure’s state-of-the-art solutions combine perfectly with Leadcom’s quest to give customers the highest quality telecom infrastructure with the lowest possible OPEX. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Flexenclosure to other countries, leveraging our extensive footprint across Africa.”