European News: Level 3, DCE, HCL Technologies

Here's a round-up of news in the European data centre markets:

Level 3's German Data Centres Now Powered by Renewable Energy - Level 3 Communications, Inc. (LVLT) is powering its five German colocation data centres with 100 percent renewable energy.

The providers' five German facilities include sites in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. Level 3’s contract with Germany’s CLENS (Clean Energy Sourcing), a clean energy provider certified by the TÜV international certification organisation, is the first agreement of its kind in the country. In 2012, Level 3 will reduce its CO² emissions for the five German facilities by approximately 29,400 tonnes.

Also, Level 3 operates colocation data centres in London that are powered by 100 percent green energy sources.

Pivot3 Announces Strategic Partnership with Data City Exchange - Pivot3, a US-based provider of unified storage and compute appliances, has formed a strategic partnership with UK-based data centre provider Data City Exchange (DCE) for the deployment of VMware View-based virtual desktop infrastructure and storage services targeted at the mid-market in the UK and Ireland.

This partnership enables mid-market customers to access hosted “off-the-shelf” packaged deployments based on the Pivot3 vSTAC appliances running within DCE Evo-POD data centre modules. Packaged deployments will include “Storage-as-a-Service” and “Desktop-as-a-Service” and will be configured and tailored for vertical markets within local government, media and finance.

Through their strategic partnership, the pair will deliver a range of on-demand virtual business applications which will be hosted within DCE’s unique, sustainable Evo-POD data centre modules and delivered across a combined VMware and Pivot3 technology platform. The Evo-POD is available in mixed density 96, 48 and 24 rack modules and can be delivered using evaporative free air or water-chilled cooling.

HCL Technologies Lands $300M 5-year UPM Order - HCL Technologies has received a $300 million contract to provide technology infrastructure management services to Finland's UPM-Kymmene Oyj for the next five years. The company will provide data centres, network services and information technology services to the Finnish paper maker.

HCL technologies will set up a data centre in Finland to support UPM Kymmene as well as absorb 250 employees of UPM Kymmene by August 2012.

European Data Centre Association to Launch at Data Centres 2012 - Data Centres 2012, scheduled to be held in Nice, France on May 23-24, will be the site of the formal launch the new European Data Centre Association. The conference was selected due to its regional audience and its reputation as the leading conference for content relating to the data centre industry. The European Data Centre Association will exhibit at the event and invites new members to meet there.

Members already signed up to the EUDCA include leading data centre operators like Telecity, EBRC, Colt, DCO, Lamda Hellix and Interxion, major suppliers to the industry including Schneider Electric, Jerlaure, Stratégies and Siemens, consultants to the industry including Arup and Migration Solutions and law firm Bird & Bird. For further information, visit the European Data Centre Association website.

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