Subscribe
  • Home
  • /
  • Storage
  • /
  • Internet Solutions pumps R500m into Parklands data centre

Internet Solutions pumps R500m into Parklands data centre

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 08 Nov 2017
The data centre will provide total capacity of 572 racks and 2.2MW of IT power.
The data centre will provide total capacity of 572 racks and 2.2MW of IT power.

Pan-African telecoms services provider Internet Solutions has invested R500 million to extend its Parklands data centre in Johannesburg.

The company says the extension is the first of its kind at this scale in Sub-Saharan Africa. The facility's design accommodates flexible modules, tailored to specific market requirements, contained within a modern exterior structure.

According to Internet Solutions, phase one, due to come online in July 2018, will contain 130 racks, while subsequent modules will be ordered in configurations best suited to client demands.

On completion, at a total cost of approximately half a billion rand, the data centre will provide a total capacity of 572 racks and 2.2-megawatts of IT power.

"On completion of the Parklands expansion project, Internet Solutions will boast the most ideally-located, carrier-neutral data centre in South Africa," says Matthew Ashe, executive of data centres at Internet Solutions.

"It hosts the Johannesburg Internet Exchange, and is in close proximity to some of the continent's most important business centres, which makes this data centre the obvious choice for local and multinational enterprises alike."

Both Sandton and Johannesburg CBD business districts are within a 10km radius of Parklands, which is situated in the burgeoning area of Rosebank - currently in the midst of a multibillion-rand redevelopment, says Internet Solutions.

"Thanks to its location, the existing Parklands facility already delivers minimal latency, with capacity set to double on expansion," says Ashe. "As we install future modules, we can scale density up or down, decrease racks or increase cooling, offering existing and prospective clients a flexible data centre service that remains at the forefront of industry standards."

The telecommunications service provider says traditional brick-and-mortar facilities require substantial initial capital outlay and typically take at least 24 months to build and bring online, with the risk that design and equipment is no longer as state-of-the-art as when it was procured.

The Parklands extension will open its doors in well under a year, it notes.

"The civil works are under way in Johannesburg while the prefabricated modules are built, tested, dismantled and then shipped from Europe in parallel," explains Ashe. "There is a four- to six-month lead time for additional modules, which arrive with flooring, cooling and uninterrupted power systems already in place."

Internet Solutions has a significant pan-African managed services network, offering ICT services to local companies, global network operators and multinational enterprises that choose to enter the region from SA.

"The customisable build of the new Parklands data centre is an exciting evolution in our approach to expanding data centre infrastructure," says Saki Missaikos, MD of Internet Solutions. "The modular design future-proofs our investment in the facility, and provides our clients with a service that can adapt to their changing business requirements."

Share