AI in Amsterdam, Finance in Frankfurt
AI/ML, Enterprise Bare Metal, Colocation in Data Centers
When it comes to Europe’s data centre needs, it’s not all about colo
Europe’s data centre market has been growing at rapid-fire pace, especially since the 2018 enactment of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which served to spur an increase in country-localized data centres. The GDPR’s complex regulations governing the processing, handling, and storage of EU citizens’ personal data meant that many companies opted to ensure that what happens in a country, stays in that country, at least from the data perspective. And now, thanks to Brexit, countless more companies have moved some or all of their operations across the channel, adding fuel to the data centre market’s already explosive growth.
The Netherlands — Amsterdam, in particular — has long been a thriving hub for international business, especially for companies involved in financial services technology, energy, and insurance. The gaming and online betting industry has also set up shop in Amsterdam, and a thriving AI micro-industry has sprung up around these online casinos. Given that both gaming and finance tech have large demands on compute power, especially those utilizing AI, it should come as no surprise that the Netherlands is among the most connected countries in the world and one of Europe’s most developed data centre markets. In fact, Amsterdam, home to AMS-IX, the world’s leading internet exchange, has become so popular that more than 70 data centres can be found in the metro area.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, has grown as a major financial centre in the wake of Brexit, with Deutsche Bank HQ located there, while choosing to keep its biggest investment banking operations in London. Based on megawatt capacity alone, it topped the rankings for colocation facility takeup last year. Now, the increased focus on finance only adds to the city’s already strong position as a centre for auto manufacturing and the supply chain that supports it.
Heeding the call
Whether it’s an online bank headquartered in Amsterdam or one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers based in Frankfurt, it is unlikely that these enterprises or their competitors have their own corporate data centres, especially those for which AI is a significant compute component. What is likely, however, is that they already have significant data compute requirements and that’s only going to increase.
In light of the significant demands for increased data centre capabilities in Europe, we’ve expanded our operations with a new facility in Amsterdam and added a second data centre in Frankfurt. Located in Polanen Park, just minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and 8 km from downtown, our Amsterdam facility houses three of the world's largest Internet exchanges, is close to several key undersea cable landing stations, and features complete redundancy, as well as financial-grade standard and incremental multi-tier security measures. Our Frankfurt data centres, meanwhile, are 10km apart from each other, and are ideal for companies looking for disaster recovery and backup solutions.
Compute, colo, and EBM
Industry and compute requirements notwithstanding, customers in both of these competitive markets require reliability, security and connectivity to support their business objectives. And now, thanks to Cyxtera’s Enterprise Bare Metal offering, they can provision networks, cloud on-ramps, and technology providers with a click of a button.
Designed as an alternative to public cloud, our bare metal platform combines financial and operational flexibility with the control, performance, and security of enterprise-grade dedicated infrastructure and services, including Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) servers, HPE ProLiant DL160 and DL3XX servers, Fujitsu PRIMERGY with Nutanix Enterprise Cloud, and AI/ML Compute as a Service, powered by NVIDIA DGXTM A100.
Cyxtera Enterprise Bare Metal offers the security, control and performance of dedicated colocation infrastructure in an on-demand model that's perfect for seamlessly extending your existing colo environment or rapid expansion into new markets without the burden of capital expenditures, lengthy implementation cycles, depreciating assets, or adding to local staff.
Our data centres support some of the world’s leading enterprises and finance institutions with scalable colocation and provide access to hundreds of cloud and managed service providers no matter where in the world they are located. See for yourself how we can not only meet, but exceed, your European compute needs.
For more information on our Amsterdam data centre, please visit: https://www.cyxtera.com/amsterdam-data-centers
For Frankfurt information, please visit: https://www.cyxtera.com/frankfurt-data-centers
Views and opinions expressed in our blog posts are those of the employees who made them and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Company. A reader should not unduly rely on any statements made therein.
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