eHosting DataFort announced that it has invested $5.4 million in T3 data center upgrades over the past 12 months. Upgrades were made to infrastructure, cooling, power, and security.
The investment in the T3 data center in Dubai was made to meet the growing demand for data center space in the Middle East, and to expand the services portfolio for the facility.
The data center deployed Cisco’s Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI), a software-defined networking (SDN) solution that maps hardware and software through application-based policy, for automation, security, agility and efficiency. This change allows eHDF to provide agile services while reducing administrative requirements and keeping costs low.
It also upgraded the existing backup system with improved battery power and invested in a Building Management System to better manage and measure power usage to provide accurate, cost-effective power usage information to customers.
The company installed dual cabling in overhead trays, providing coverage with copper and fiber optic cable systems. A raised floor was also installed, to increase cooling efficiency, and allow for the realignment of hot and cold aisles to meet upgrade requirements and provide unhindered air flow for further efficiency.
eHDF upgraded security by replacing physical log books with an electronic visitor management system, incorporating dual-factor authentication. It upgraded the existing access control and CCTV systems with IP encoded cameras and email alerts for system faults.
The company will also maintain a one-year video backup of security and CCTV files to comply with local governance and regulatory requirements.
Yasser Zeineldin, CEO of eHosting DataFort, said that the recent investment in the T3 data center is part of a strategic initiative to strengthen data center offerings in the region.
“Conscious of the increase in the Managed and Data Centre service markets in the UAE which according to IDC indicates an expected annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.8 per cent between 2013 and 2018 to reach a total of $971.8 million by 2018, eHDF charted out a strong plan to strengthen its data centers in Dubai,” he said.
“Our upgrades were systematically planned, procured, installed and tested in alignment with the existing design and needs of our future business. We are confident that our investments will facilitate business transformation and are especially designed to meet the growing demands of our customers.”
In May of this year, eHDF invested $2 million in building a cyber defense center in Dubai Internet City, to help protect enterprises in the Middle East from the growing threat of ransomware attacks in the region.
