Outstanding digital infrastructure services delivered by the largest Canadian-owned and operated data center provider: eStruxture

In the highly competitive world we live in, data is the backbone of every business and hence data centers play a crucial role. Modern data centers are equipped to support all aspects with respect to data such as storage, computation, and business applications and network for the enterprise to the extent that the business of a modern enterprise can be easily run on computers. It is where all our data, music and photographs are stored and the cloud lives. Data centers are a significant component of the global economy, whether you are an individual, a business, a city or a country.

Globally there are various data center providers delivering excellent services, but eStruxture stands out from the rest. eStruxture is Canada’s premier data center platform. The company provides modern data center infrastructure for companies requiring reliable and flexible colocation services. eStruxture’s solutions are designed with the capacity, performance, and flexibility to run the latest, most demanding enterprise applications and the control to rapidly scale in response to unpredictable changes in business processes. Proudly Canadian, eStruxture is committed to growing its investment in the country’s economy, creating more jobs, and offering an ideal platform for companies that want to grow or establish their footprint in Canada.

In conversation with Maria Bolovis, SVP of Operations at eStruxture

Describe your career and role at eStruxture.

I’m the SVP of Operations at eStruxture, the largest Canadian-owned, cloud and carrier-neutral data center provider. In this role, I lead all components of operations for the company, including infrastructure operations, customer support, provisioning, and customer experience. I oversee operations for all of eStruxture’s data centers across Canada in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary, and I am one of the leaders in charge of the construction of our company’s new, second data center in Calgary (CAL-2), which will open this December.

The construction of our second data center facility (CAL-2) in Calgary has been by far the most fulfilling experience in my career thus far. I was blessed to work with a group of colleagues that I consider best-in-class in this industry. Their commitment, innovation, adaptability, speed, high quality service are what made this new build a tremendous success. The operations team closely collaborated with the construction and engineering teams in all phases of this project: from design reviews to construction meetings, and commissioning activities. As a result, we were able to find efficiencies and optimize our operational readiness. I live and breathe data centers and have been working in the data center industry my entire 20-year career. I’ve had the fortune of working for some of the biggest names in the tech world, including Amazon Web Services, IBM Canada and now eStruxture. I am also deeply committed to empowering other women in the industry through mentorship, professional development, and by helping them find a voice in a sector historically dominated by men.

Q. There are other major players providing data center services, how do you stand out from the rest?

Although eStruxture has only been around for a little over five years, we’re proud to say that we’re now the single largest Canadian Data Center provider and are trusted by some of the largest companies in the industry. Our commitment to sustainability is a clear advantage over our competitors. Our company focuses on maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing environmental impact in our data centers by designing sustainable facilities, utilizing highly efficient waterless or free-cooling technologies, and by powering our facilities with renewable energy whenever possible. The majority of our customers, regardless of their industry, have sustainability as a critical business priority and partnering with us helps them achieve their sustainability goals.

In addition, as the only Canadian-owned and operated data center platform left, we’re 100% focused on Canada and have unparalleled knowledge of the market, unlike many companies that have diluted their focus by expanding in other countries. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have also been key to our success. Thanks to our employees’ diversity, we are able to serve our customers in many languages, understand, and overcome cultural and social differences. I personally am very passionate about promoting DE&I in the tech industry, removing barriers to entry, and focusing on women’s retention. I’ve helped implement inclusive recruiting efforts, drafting job descriptions that appeal to underrepresented candidates in infrastructure operations in order to break barriers for diverse employees.

Q. Does eStruxture have expansion plans for the near future?

Since eStruxture was founded, our company has been on a rapid growth trajectory and all signs point to this as a continued trend for 2022 and beyond. In fact, in December, we’ll be opening our second data center in Calgary (CAL-2) which is quickly becoming one of Canada’s critical data center hubs. The CAL-2 facility will be the largest, Tier III designed data center in the Calgary area. It will bring true hyperscale capacity to the market: 20MW of power and nearly 93,000 sq. ft. of space. This facility also reinforces eStruxture’s commitment to operating our facilities sustainably by using modern, highly-efficient cooling systems. CAL-2 will use the same waterless, free-cooling system that’s also present in our state-of-the-art MTL-2, Montreal facility. eStruxture has 15 facilities nationwide, and CAL-2 is yet another hyperscale facility that mirrors our basis of design that originated with our 30MW facility, MTL-2. The launch of this data center is a milestone moment for our company as we continue to grow our business.

Q. How will the CAL-2 opening impact the local economy?

With data centers being the heart of the digital ecosystem, CAL-2 will generate a significant number of job opportunities both directly, for skilled technical workers and engineers, as well as indirectly, by attracting major technology companies to the area, which, in turn, will create high-paying jobs. At eStruxture, we’re very proud to be building a Canadian colocation powerhouse. We’re also committed to investing in the Canadian economy, creating more jobs, and providing the very best service to our customers. We truly believe that Calgary is becoming a major data center and connectivity hub. We’ve held this belief since we first established our footprint there in 2018, and we are proud to be part of this development. We’re also now members of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, further showcasing our commitment to deepening our understanding of the market and collaborating with key decision makers.

Describe eStruxture’s commitment to sustainability.

Data centers are major consumers of energy as servers and other IT equipment need constant, reliable power and cooling. This is why now is the time for the data center industry to elevate its environmental stewardship with energy-efficient infrastructure and renewable power resources. At eStruxture, we fully recognize our responsibility to work towards a carbon-neutral future. Our dedication to constantly improving our internal sustainability practices instead of purchasing carbon offset credits is unwavering. We’re proud to say that all of our facilities are sustainably designed and energy efficient. Moreover, our facilities in Quebec and British Columbia are powered by clean, renewable hydroelectricity. We’re constantly investing in modern cooling technology that takes advantage of the colder Canadian climate to reduce energy usage, minimizes water consumption, noise levels, vibrations, and the environmental impact of refrigerant and other potentially harmful chemicals. We have also joined the iMasons Climate Accord (ICA), a cooperative of companies committed to reducing carbon in digital infrastructure.

Q. What does the future hold for eStruxture and its customers?

eStruxture’s footprint is poised to grow far beyond our current size. And I believe we’ll continue to see exponential growth that’s only limited by what our supply chain can handle. Our data center services are uniquely positioned to continue to gain traction. We’ll continue to provide the very best service to our customers thanks to our highly scalable facilities, high-density power available standard, sustainably designed facilities, and deep understanding and commitment to the Canadian market. We’re in a very fortunate position to respond to our exponential growth. We operate our facilities in several locations that offer renewable power at a very low cost. We also build facilities that are highly scalable. Our customers have ample room to grow, and they can do so in a cost-efficient manner.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to highlight?

At eStruxture, we’re dedicated to achieving gender parity in the data center and the ICT sector. However, we recognize that there’s still work to be done to improve diversity and inclusion, and in particular how women are represented, in the data center industry and tech industry at large. This issue has always resonated deeply with me, as I’m a daughter of two immigrants who came here from Greece. I received my engineering degree from Polytechnique Montréal, specializing in mechatronics, a program where I was one of only a few women.

I’m extremely passionate about sharing my unique experiences as a woman in a technical industry with an engineering degree, and want to inspire young women to follow in my footsteps. As someone with a long, successful career at several large companies, my goal is to drive diversity and the representation of women in STEM through mentorship and encouraging other women interested in pursuing STEM careers.

“Since eStruxture was founded, our company has been on a rapid growth trajectory and all signs point to this as a continued trend for 2022 and beyond. In fact, in December of this year, we’ll be opening our second data center in Calgary (CAL-2) which is quickly becoming one of Canada’s critical data center hubs”

“At eStruxture, we’re very proud to be building a Canadian colocation powerhouse. We are also committed to investing in the Canadian economy, creating more jobs, and providing the very best service to our customers.”