Providing efficient data centre operations essential for critical business functions: Deltalis

With the proliferation of the amount of data across all industries, organizations of all types are challenged with optimizing their data center operations. Since data is at the very heart of most businesses, it benefits organizations to develop a strategy to deal with the increasing demand for processing power, storage space and information in general that is constantly threatening to outstrip a companies’ ability to deliver. It is therefore imperative that organizations must address their data center challenges in order to operate efficiently, be able to access and leverage their data, and remain competitive in a heated marketplace.

This is where Deltalis comes in with the vision to build the safest place for Data and IT, holding a competitive edge that many businesses can only dream of. The Swiss data centre company’s unique location makes it an engaging and attractive prospect for clients; the Uri data centre is nestled within an ex-military bunker in a mountain range, only an hour away from Zurich. The bunker was bought in 2007 by private investors, and it was originally intended to be a secure location for storing high-value goods. After speaking with data centre professionals, the bunker’s owners realized the potential of what they had, and more importantly, discovered that data was the most valuable commodity they could store. “Data and information grows in value”, says Frank Harzheim, CEO and General Manager of Deltalis. “The facility itself had some key features that were just perfect to turn into a data centre. The bunker provides its own cooling water – 730,000 liters of it, which has a constant temperature of 14 degrees. Plus, the mountain where the data centre is located lies right on one of Europe’s main internet backbone routes between Zurich and Milan; connectivity is vital for any data centre of course.”

Leading the market with its secure data centers

Harzheim admits that once the Uri data centre was opened, approaching the market was a whole new challenge. In 2015, the marketing strategy and corporate identity were defined, and it got the mandatory certifications that were needed, like the ISO27001. After getting certified, Deltalis built an operational team and a sales team and was prepared to enter the market as a strong business.

To bolster this move even further, Deltalis chose to go above and beyond and acquired another certification. In an expensive and thorough examination, the data centre was tested for electromagnetic pulses and found to be completely EMP-protected. Deltalis’s testing and certification was performed by EMShield GmbH, which is a leading expert in the field of planning and project implementation of electromagnetically shielded rooms. Since then, Deltalis has been working on the commercial side of the business, and experiencing excellent momentum and growth.

Creating an environment for data and system security

Being a young company, Deltalis had to build momentum quickly. So, it took an existing facility and turned it into a data centre. As it wasn’t its original function, it took a lot of important due diligence to make sure the facility was perfect. Another aspect of the business, which acts as a true differentiator, is that it is officially hyper secure. Its data centre is 300 meters inside a mountain, and the facility is not reachable except for its staff and customers.

The main challenge for co-location projects is intelligent capacity planning, and this is something Harzheim prioritizes. Deltalis is currently building a new co-location room and two private suites. The company believes that a vital key to successful penetration of the market lies in having a team of people who believe in the vision. For a young and growing company, sourcing the best talent is difficult, but Deltalis holds an edge of attractiveness that a lot of newcomers do not. “You need people who believe in the potential of the business”, Harzheim said. “What is important is that everyone has an area of responsibility and everyone is a team player. Leadership isn’t about telling others what to do, it’s about letting them know what they could do and giving them the responsibility of doing what’s best for the business. This is one thing we’ve implemented in our leadership culture. I’m proud of the team – they are great people with passion and excellent knowledge”, he added.

Deltalis has also created strong processes that are integrated company-wide and followed by everybody. Staff are required to support the hyper secure nature of the business, and in return, they are cared for every step of the way – from prior employment, to during employment, to after employment. This care for people extends beyond employees and to the customers. Harzheim states, “What further differentiates us is our customer focus. We are adding new services, such as Remote Management as a Service (Deltalis Virtual Reach), and DCIM as a service (Deltalis Virtual View). With this we offer our clients to connect to IT equipment remotely, anywhere and anytime.”

Milestones

Deltalis has proven its industry impact already, with two key events that occurred in London earlier this year. After Harzheim spoke at Data Centre World about the very complex realm in which he works and how Deltalis can simplify it, Deltalis brought together lawyers, politicians, and other interested top-level UK parties to talk about data protection and its ongoing projects. This in particular was a milestone for the company which a lot of established organizations have not yet enjoyed. Government officials, businesses and customers are discovering the power of the rare and incredible advantages that Deltalis boasts, and it is something that will continue to propel the company forward at speed. “The most important aspect of this business is security, both digital and physical”, Harzheim concludes.

Knowing the leader behind Deltalis, CEO Frank Harzheim

Frank shares the passion of his entire team to create the safest environment for his client’s data and IT System by offering the best level of service and customer focus. Frank joined Deltalis as CEO in September 2014. Besides the strategic development and the operational business of Deltalis, he is in charge of the international positioning of Deltalis as the Swiss Hyper Secure Datacenter. Before Deltalis, Frank led the EMEA Sales of datacenter infrastructure solutions (DCIM) at Emerson Network Power and prior to that he has held various management, sales and product strategy positions with international enterprises in the telecommunications and IT solutions market.

"At DELTALIS, we work for our clients with a commitment and dedication to innovation, quality and security.”