END USER INSIGHT END USER INSIGHT constant communication , collaboration , creativity and flexibility from both sides .
The company ’ s Accredited Tier Specialists ( ATS ) and Accredited Operations Specialist ( AOS ) were heavily involved , applying extensive digital infrastructure design , management and operations expertise from Uptime training courses throughout the process . Datacenter United ’ s final facility demonstrations were a resounding success and Uptime Institute awarded the official Tier IV TCCF in February 2022 .
“ The value this Tier Certification conveys to current and prospective customers is incredible and the growth in expertise the process produced throughout our operations and service delivery team is priceless ,” said Ogy Smet , CTO , Datacenter United .
Impact
Datacenter United started this process to differentiate itself from competing data centres , demonstrate its commitment to digital infrastructure excellence and inspire confidence and interest among current and future customers . Now operating Belgium ’ s first and only facility – and one of a select group in Europe – to earn Uptime Institute ’ s Tier IV TCCF , the company has achieved those goals .
The certification , as well as the work required to accomplish it , are already paying dividends . Both current and prospective customers have taken notice and Datacenter United ’ s sales and marketing teams are using its new Tier IV Certification as a unique differentiator to expand its visibility across Europe and abroad . The certification journey has been a highly educational and transformative process for the operations and service delivery professionals involved and for the company itself . As a result , the team gained valuable expertise , tremendous confidence in its facility and a clear understanding of how its infrastructure will fair under a broad range of operating conditions , including worst-case scenarios .
Datacenter United sees the value of Tier Certification as undeniable and intends to work with Uptime on future projects as it continues to strengthen its position as a leading provider of high-quality , reliable proximity data centre services in Belgium and beyond .
Ogy Smet , CTO , Datacenter United and Friso Haringsma , CEO , Datacenter United , offer further insight into the collaboration with Uptime Institute and the benefits this has brought to the business .
What does it mean to be CTO of one of the leading providers of carrier-neutral colocation data centre services in Belgium ?
Smet : “ I ’ m very proud to be in this position and to have had the opportunity to help build our company into the industry leader it is today and lay the groundwork for future growth . To be able to grow past the competition in size and through Uptime Certification is an extraordinary achievement that brings great pride .”
How has the new Antwerp site raised the bar for digital infrastructure quality and reliability in Belgium and how has Uptime Institute determined this ?
Smet : “ As Antwerp is the first and only Tier IV facility in the country , there truly is no enterprise company that can claim it delivers the best-of-the-best standards and not be a customer . For the competition , shortcuts are no longer acceptable . The pressure is now on competitors to catch up to the point where they can deliver the highest level of services like we do today . Despite many claims that achieving Tier IV in this country is impossible , we ’ ve proven it is and it gives me great pleasure to have disproved this myth and reset expectations .
“ Completing Uptime Institute ’ s Accredited Tier Specialist ( ATS ) course is one of the best professional decisions I have ever made . It has given me crystal clear insight into how Uptime Institute assesses and certifies data centres . This was instrumental in the successful Tier IV Certification of our facility . Through its Tier Standard and courses , Uptime conveys a clear philosophy that you can apply to achieve digital infrastructure success .”
How prestigious is Uptime Institute ’ s Tier IV TCCF Certification and what successes have you seen since receiving this ?
Haringsma : “ Achieving Tier IV Certification for both design and especially constructed facility is a tremendous accomplishment for our organisation . I am extremely proud of our team and of this milestone . It has helped us earn attention from some of the top cloud and IT players in the world , and recognition from customers and suppliers within the sector . Without the validation of these Certifications , I ’ m pretty sure this momentum would ’ ve been much more difficult to build .”
How far has Datacenter United been able to differentiate itself from competing data centres since its collaboration with Uptime ?
Haringsma : “ It is very difficult to stand out from the crowd and differentiate from competitors . Some claim they have Tier- Certified infrastructure or infrastructure that operates at the equivalent levels , when in fact they don ’ t . With this Certification , we finally put an end to the misconception that a Tier IV certification in Belgium is impossible . I really believe we put Belgium data centre services on the European map and am confident that our country has a golden future in the heart of Europe at the centre of the FLAP region .”
What does the future hold for Datacenter United now that it has received this certification ?
Haringsma : “ Datacenter United is just getting started ; our company story is far from finished . The Certification helped us to strengthen our market position and bring our organisation and ambitions to a higher level . With Uptime as our knowledge partner , we continue to empower data in a sustainable way , and working with strong and reliable business partners is crucial for success .” � www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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