David Green, from the University’s Department of Engineering, visited the company’s Manchester datacentre and head office recently to have a look at the innovations used to build M247’s renowned climate control system which helps keeps its burgeoning datafloor operating efficiently while at the same time significantly lowering M247’s carbon footprint and reducing the bottom line of its annual power spend. Since David is involved in the update of the Engineering Department’s computer room cooling as part of the University’s Carbon and Energy Reduction Project, its anticipated that the exchange of ideas will cement a relationship from which M247 and Cambridge University will both benefit.

With its original datacentre already close to full capacity in Manchester and another one in Kidderminster in the West Midlands also full, M247 is in the process of opening its third UK datacentre right next door to its head office and is targeting a PuE of just 1.15 (Power Use Effectiveness, the standard by which datacentre energy efficiency is measured all over the world). Quite an aim considering that the firm already has an enviably green track record on energy efficiency with their main datacentre measuring just 1.18 PuE as ratified by the Green Grid. It’s this remarkably low level of energy usage that’s motivated the Cambridge University engineers to come and have a look at what can be achieved with EcoCooling technology.

By now, it’s well known that the datacentre industry consumes huge amounts of power to keep their servers and related hardware operational and a large proportion of this power is used to maintain optimal climatic conditions within the data floors. This is required so that the I.T. hardware runs as efficiently as possible. Various solutions are available but M247 is utilising a “cold aisle” system taking advantage of adiabatic air exchange cooling technology. The cold aisle contains and directs a minimum volume of cold air, which is expensive to produce, and allows M247 to micro manage the enclosed server aisle both in relation to its optimal temperature and its relative humidity. A by-product of the sophisticated system set up by M247 is that the circulating cold air is also highly filtered, stripping it of any damaging particulates that could shorten the operational life of the valuable hardware. Even better, the exhaust air has a further use in that it heats up M247’s office space, removing their need for a secondary heating system during the winter months. Extraction fans fitted in the ceiling of the office space helps keep it cool throughout the summer.

To ensure that power is always available, even in the event of a regional outage, M247 has installed a number of large backup generators that automatically start up if the normal power supply is interrupted. Here again M247 has found a way of lowering its carbon footprint by supplying power from these generators to the National Grid whenever demand is high and it becomes cost-effective to do so. This arrangement also ensures that the generators don’t remain idle for long periods and are tested regularly. Other datacentres have experienced power problems when their generators failed to kick in when needed.

While some companies are content to plant trees to offset their carbon footprint, green credentials haven’t come that easily to M247 as they are constantly striving to maintain their low ratings in a real sense. They’ve even developed their own web-based control and monitoring software which can regulated from anywhere with a web connection, even a smart phone.

Managing Director of M247 David Buckle says “when we decided to make our datacentre as efficient as possible we had no model to follow. We felt like pioneers and had to design our own climate control system from scratch and have learnt such a lot from this process. Our plan with the new datacentre next door is to try to improve even more on what we’ve achieved so far.”

Cambridge University’s David Green said “It’s been an interesting and worthwhile visit to M247 and good so see the roll out of technology that is also being used in the Engineering Department. M247 are so far advanced with their designs and thinking I feel I have seen many things that will benefit our own efforts to minimise energy usage and we’ve all agreed today to maintain contact and share our advances in this technology.”

Their existing datacentre, located right next door to their new building which was purchased last month, is almost completely at capacity so new customers signing up to the Connectivity, Co-location, Cloud, Dedicated Server, Internet Security and Web Hosting products offered by M247 will soon be able to enjoy the spacious surrounds of the new building which boasts a location with free and secure parking just a very short distance from Junction 9 on the M60 motorway and a stone’s throw away from the Trafford Centre.

M247 Operations Director Jonathan Buckle is part of a team managing the build of the new datacentre and he says “ the experience we gained a few years back when we opened our first datacentre will be invaluable to the success of this new building. We’re determined to have our new datafloors operational in the very near future and a number of our development team will be moving across within days to enjoy their new spacious office accommodation. Our team has grown significantly recently and this new space will help us all benefit in so many ways.”

Asked what other changes this new building will bring, Jonathan said “IceColo, the server co-location arm of M247 will now be offering a “carrier neutral” co-location product set from our new datacentre. In our industry ”carrier neutral” means that customers will have a lot more choice and flexibility when it comes to which telecoms providers they can use. We have also recently invested heavily in ensuring our growing international network operates as efficiently as possible and we can now provide a massive capacity that positions us with practically unlimited growth potential for many years into the future.”

Jonathan also points out that “with a PuE of under 1.2, the existing M247 datacentre is widely regarded as one of the most energy efficient datacentres in the whole of Europe and its planned to build on what’s been carefully developed there to take our new datacentre one step further towards lowering our carbon footprint. “

The company claims to have a comprehensive range of datacentres in their database, with full specifications, connectivity, and upstream carrier data for each one.

While Inificom state their main aim is to provide a direct comparison of each datacentre across the UK, at present they are simply providing advice and information via contact form.

The hope is that in future datacentres.co.uk will provide more detailed information on each datacentre and then perhaps act as a agent between client and datacentre, where required.

In the meantime, the website is currently up and running for covering the UK.

For more information, visit http://www.datacentres.co.uk/

As anticipated, Clean Server and Spam Guardian have been redesigned for Plesk Panel 10. The antivirus and anti-spam services are now registered as additional Plesk services, simplifying management and integration with third-party provisioning tools such as Plesk Billing. “Back in 2003, 4PSA introduced email antivirus and anti-spam capabilities to Parallels Plesk Panel. In 2011, scanning and filtering are still crucial to any hosting service and 4PSA add-ons are preferred due to their accuracy and scalability. Both Clean Server and Spam Guardian support distributed workloads without affecting other hosting services,” said Elena Carstoiu, 4PSA’s VP of Sales and Marketing.

Clean Server and Spam Guardian feature new reporting areas that simplify provisioning of cloud services. They enable service providers to charge customers based on service utilization. Moreover, the latest versions also introduce IMAP quarantine folders for infected emails.

Total Backup continues to provide superior server level backup and disaster recovery functionalities with low I/O usage and remote storage facilities Total Backup is capable of encrypting the backup archives, which means that they can be safely stored on shared storage infrastructures, reducing costs and increasing flexibility.

4PSA add-ons for Plesk provide the best TCO in business. They can be purchased from the 4PSA online store starting at US $99.

Commended for its continued focus on employee engagement, Rackspace has ranked as one of the top ten companies for people, who love what they do, believe in the company and its future and deliver a great service.

Rackspace has, for the third year running, been featured in the top tier of the Sunday Times Best Employer Awards. The Awards, which are based on employee interviews, indicate that Rackspace has created a fun and caring environment that helps nurture and grow individual talent.

The Sunday Times notes that 89 percent of Rackspace employees that responded to the survey are excited about where the company is going, with 79 percent saying their work is great for their personal growth and 95 per cent stating that they are proud to work for the organisation.

Brian Thomson, EMEA Managing Director at Rackspace, comments: “We are very proud of all the progress we have made in our business over the last year and what is truly pleasing is that as the company has grown our ‘Rackers’ continue to feel valued in their roles.

“We are thrilled to see that our employees love what they do and are excited at where the business is going. Our continued success is without doubt because of our Racker’s tireless dedication to Fanatical Support and the passion they show every single day.”

Rackspace is one of the UK’s most successful and fastest growing providers of IT hosting services.

It has consistently been recognised for its excellence as an IT employer, with a number of accolades, most recently being one of only14 companies to receive a Laureate award from the Financial Times for being one of the best places to work in the UK and Europe 2009.

Launched this month and superceding the original SafeDNS, this version represents a new phase in DNS management.

Providing full administrative privileges to the user, the server control panel offers the freedom to control what web domains you host and where.

Completely designed by UKFast’s R & D department, the SafeDNS system is a simple and secure approach to domain hosting.

Some of the DNS platform’s exciting new developments include enabling the user to host an unlimited number of branded domains, performing updates in real time, changing MX, A-name and TXT records and setting up sub-domains.

Neil Lathwood, UKFast’s IT Director, says, “Our DNS server system is straightforward and extremely easy-to-use, whether you are technically minded or not.

“Designed and built in-house, we are so confident in the solution that we use it ourselves. With our competitors also adopting it, we can guarantee its effectiveness for DNS management.”

The poll of 500 web designers(1) conducted with .NET magazine (www.netmag.co.uk) found that more than half of web designers and developers admit to having worked in an environment where they used unlicensed web design software.

As licences for web design software can often cost small agencies thousands of pounds, recent economic pressures are a likely factor in the problem.

Fasthosts recently announced its work with Microsoft to promote the WebsiteSpark program – an initiative that provides eligible users with free licenses for Microsoft Expression® and Visual Studio® software.

The initiative is a good example of how web professionals can access software through legitimate schemes and so avoid the risks of using unlicensed software.

According to Fasthosts’ survey of .NET magazine readers, the use of unlicensed software by web professionals is rife in the UK. 59 per cent of those surveyed have placed themselves, their colleagues and their work at risk by using unlicensed software to create websites.

If a worker uses software without a license number, or if the license only entitles its use for an individual machine and it is copied and installed on multiple computers, the company is likely to be breaking the law – often punishable with a substantial fine.

In a recently reported case, a London-based website design agency was fined a 5-figure sum for its use of illegal software.

There is also strong evidence that the use of unlicensed software can be a false economy – users often face bugs and do not benefit from access to support services which can result in downtime and delays.

Comments from those who took the poll suggest that the use of illegal software is a common cause of frustration and concern for the web design community.

A number of those affected describe tensions between those responsible for IT budgets and licences, and creative staff expected to use the software.

Steve Holford, CMO Fasthosts Internet Ltd., said, “Great web projects can often rely on the latest software and at times businesses may be tempted to cut corners with their software licenses.

“Web designers should not struggle with sub-standard software or more importantly jeopardise their future by using illegal software”.

Dan Oliver, Editor of .NET magazine, comments, “With tight deadlines, and tighter budgets, it’s understandable – though clearly not recommended – to hear of people being asked to use pirated software.

“It’s unrealistic to put the onus on employees, the message needs to get through to employers. We’re hoping that technologies such as SaaS can go some way to lessening the problem of pirated software in the web design industry”.

FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) has an ‘employee whistle-blowing’ campaign to tackle employers who pressurise staff into installing illegal software.

John Lovelock, Chief Executive of FAST, comments, “The software industry is a vital part of the economy and deserves the same protection as counterfeit consumer goods.

“We want workers to know there is support and the means to combat any illegal behaviour by contacting us via our website www.fast.org, and have protection in law under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (Whistleblower Act).

“We hope that by raising awareness of the laws protecting employees, the number willing to blow the whistle will increase and reduce the illegal use of software,” added Lovelock.

Nowadays there are industry schemes that can provide eligible web pros with free access to fully licensed professional software.

For example, Microsoft’s WebsiteSpark program offers support for web design and development agencies with up to 10 employees.

Eligible Fasthosts customers gain an immediate financial benefit – saving £240 per year with a free Windows Server license and saving even more with a free MSSQL license.

Upon enrolment, members gain access to free Windows Expression® Studio 2 (1 user license), Expression® Web 2 (2 user licenses), Visual Studio® 2008 Professional Edition (3 user licenses) and DotNetPanel control panel.

Holford added, “Smaller web agencies, perhaps more prone to budget constraints, should be aware that there are schemes out there designed to help.

“WebsiteSpark is an apt example that delivers exactly what they need most – free tools and practical help. Your web host can be a good source of advice on the latest initiatives available”.

As a long-standing expert for MS web hosting, Fasthosts is a trusted partner to thousands of web professionals. Combined with Fasthosts’ current price reductions on Windows Server packages, now is an opportune time for users to refresh their access to Microsoft web development solutions.

Free support and training opportunities from the WebsiteSpark program include unlimited access to technical newsgroups on MSDN, unlimited program support and two technical support consultations per membership, as well as relevant events and activities.

More details can be found at www.fasthosts.co.uk/dedicatedservers/microsoft-websitespark-program or by calling 0844 583 0777.

As a leading web host, Fasthosts offers a comprehensive range of web solutions including domain name registrations, email solutions (including mobile email services), shared web hosting, dedicated servers, online payment services, reseller web hosting and feature-rich broadband packages.

The newly developed online portal ensures the efficient management of European warranties for Suzuki dealers and distributors.

Hosting specialist ADACOR can rely on Interxion’s high-availability infrastructure to enable its sophisticated bespoke hosting solutions.

While customers benefit from ADACOR’s flexible individual support, Interxion’s high-performance data centre provides a secure, scalable foundation to ensure high-power configurations, maximum flexibility and minimum latency.

“On the new web-based platform, our employees and dealers can capture, edit and review all warranty claims.

“Any product recalls or improvements can be initiated quickly and easily, with ongoing improvement as an element in our quality management procedures,” said Albert Kranyak, ICT Development Manager Europe, Suzuki Germany.

“Working with ADACOR gives us a well-developed IT infrastructure with ultra-high availability, comprehensive security, full-service management and 24/7 monitoring and personal support for the entire system.

“Because this platform is hosted at Interxion, we can also be sure of the resilience of the entire data centre infrastructure, one of the key points in our specifications.”

“Our hosting solutions are not prefabricated; every customer receives a package tailored specifically for their needs,” said Andreas Bachmann, ADACOR CEO Project Management and Operations.

“For Suzuki in particular, our flexibility and the personal contact and support we provided were key to the decision-making process, and we are extremely pleased that they chose to work with us.”

“Our collaboration with ADACOR is a perfect illustration of how we can cooperate with and complement our customer offerings,” said Peter Knapp, Managing Director, Interxion Germany.

“We focus on the construction and operation of the best data centres in Europe, freeing our customers to capitalise on their core expertise. The value each adds to the other’s business proposition is at the heart of the Interxion business model.”
ENDS

Employing 90 construction workers over the initial construction phase, the data centre is due for completion and will be ready for customer installations in early 2010.

The new data centre is required to meet growing customer demand for energy-efficient yet high-power-density data centre infrastructure and outsourced managed services.

On completion, the new data centre will provide an additional 2,455m2 of gross equipped space, more than doubling Interxion’s footprint in Dublin.

With a redundant 4 MVA grid connection, the data centre will support the latest high-density power configurations. It will offer 2N UPS power and N+1 cooling as well as advanced alarm and monitoring systems and has been designed using Interxion’s energy-efficient modular architecture, with “free cooling” and maximum-efficiency components as standard.

Power monitoring and management systems will also enable customers to monitor their power usage, streamlining their operations to optimise Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).

Flexible space options will be available comprising single cabinets, caged areas, or private suite.

“We’re pleased to appoint industry-leading contractors StructureTone to design and build the data centre to the highest standards, with an emphasis on power efficiency, security, resilience and connectivity,” said Tanya Duncan, Managing Director, Interxion Ireland.

“We are excited to see construction already underway and have already geared up our team to handle in-bound enquires on space availability and the new site. We have also strengthened our operations team so that we are ready for the installation of new customers when the first phase of data centre space goes live in early 2010.”

Mike Kavanagh, Director in Charge of StructureTone Ireland commented: “Following a competitive tendering process, we are delighted to be engaged by Interxion.

“This is our second data centre project for Interxion in Ireland, and we have also delivered a facility for them in another European location. Despite a particularly aggressive programme, I am confident the StructureTone team will deliver beyond expectations.

“StructureTone has delivered over 3 million sq ft of datacentre ‘white space’ in Europe, which demonstrates our pedigree as one of the foremost mission-critical contractors.”

Interxion’s business in Ireland has shown significant growth over the last two years.

A major part of this growth comes from telecoms providers, enterprises and other technology companies that are seeking carrier and vendor-neutral infrastructure combined with a constant focus on customer satisfaction.

Interxion Ireland also recently achieved independent certification for the internationally recognised ISO 27001 standard for information security management systems.

The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, will enable Webfusion to extend its offering and provide XCalibre customers with access to a variety of products, along with 24×7 support.

The remaining XCalibre business will transfer to Flexiant Ltd.

Webfusion, in partnership with Flexiant, will trial the FlexiScale cloud computing platform and it is hoped that FlexiScale will eventually be offered as a service to Webfusion customers.

Thomas Vollrath, Managing Director of Webfusion, comments, “XCalibre has an excellent portfolio of hosting products and we are delighted to partner with them.

“The acquired Xcalibre customer base will benefit from an increased product set and more choice in entry level managed hosting packages.

“We look forward to the opportunities to widen our portfolio and present these customers with a greater choice of hosting and web security solutions.”

Tony Lucas, CEO of XCalibre, comments: “This partnership with Webfusion is very important to us and will allow us to strengthen our focus on the continued development of FlexiScale platform and other software products.

“Our roots are in hosting but our passion is development and going forward this experience will shape our transition into and growth as a software and services company, pioneering cloud computing.”

Customers of XCalibre Communications will become clients of Webfusion with immediate effect.

There will not be any changes to control panels or services provided.

In addition, customers will benefit from Webfusion’s UK-based data centre, round the clock support teams and access to a wider range of products and services.

Webfusion is part of the Host Europe Group, which is owned by Oakley Capital.