myLoc is a specialist colocation services and web hosting provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. In November 2015 the business underwent a major facelift which was marked by the launch of its new website and the introduction of a much wider range of services. The added services include managed and non-managed server hosting and cloud services.
MyLocs new SaaS cloud storage and back up services are designed to compete with services such as Dropbox and Amazon, but with the added data security offered by German data protection laws. Developed in partnership with cloud specialist Acronis and hosted on HP ProLiant Gen9 hardware, the cloud back up service is scalable and chargeable by the hour, whilst the storage service is free for the first 10GB then chargeable per the GB up to 1000GB. MyLoc will also launch a public business cloud based on HP Helion and Openstack cloud software in due course, and all usage will be billable by the hour rather than by a set monthly fee.
MyLocs standard services, such as colocation and web hosting, will remain, albeit with the added benefits of a multi-site rack package and more flexible tariff options.
Location
MyLoc Managed IT AG is located in Düsseldorf, where it operates three wholly owned data centres on one large site covering 2,500 m². There is also a fourth data centre on the site with 1000 m² space available for future development. Overall, the data centres house more than 15,000 servers at present, with space for more than 65,000 servers in total.
All three operational MyLoc data centres were certified to ISO 27001 for Information Security in late 2015. The complex is also home to the worlds largest LSR 18.6 Lampertz security room where the most sensitive systems and data of more than 300 MyLoc customers are stored, amongst them banks and financial institutions.
Physical security is also a high priority for MyLoc and it has invested in a variety of measures, including 24/7 surveillance and proactive building monitoring, access logs, keypad rack access and strict employee access parameters set by clients. Extensive fire protection measures and full redundancy on cooling and power enable MyLoc to offer uptime guarantees of 99.95%. Power back up includes connection to the medium voltage power supply of Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, dual feeds throughout the buildings and UPS and an onsite store of diesel for extended outages.
Energy
With three big data centres to run, the MyLoc team are keen to shave costs on energy use by implementing energy saving technologies. In 2014, HP launched its energy saving micro-server Moonshot. MyLoc is one of the first companies to publicly trial the server and has so far enjoyed a 33% reduction in energy costs and is using 1/25th of the space formerly taken up with tower servers.
The data centres also benefit from a free-air cooling system and hot/cold aisle containment which offsets some of the extra expense involved in cooling the HP Moonshots. The cogeneration plant, which powers the data centres, also provides the power for cooling equipment via waste heat, called trigeneration.
Funding/business model
MyLoc Managed IT AG was established in 1999 as a colocation services provider. In 2006, it was acquired by Virtual Minds AG, a German holding company for a targeted range of small tech and media companies, and merged with a sister web hosting company. Virtual Minds is in turn owned by German media giant ProSiebenSat1 Media AG, who acquired it from United Internet AG in July 2015.
Customers and partners
MyLoc provides services to a wide range of global customers, although the vast majority of its clients are Germany-based businesses. Some of those clients include Mimocloud Bitcoin mining service, cult German restaurant businesses Sansibar, the European Sports League and the Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf.
MyLoc also cultivates partnerships with leading technology providers. It is partnered with Acronis for cloud storage and backup service, Hewlett-Packard for much of its server hardware and Stulz, who designed and implemented the new air conditioning system in the MyLoc data centres.
A colocation provider that can adapt to a changing market
MyLoc is a well-established colocation provider in Germany that has branched out into other core data centre services in order to stay competitive. The new services ensure that MyLoc now offers a much more rounded range of services that are likely to have wider appeal to businesses of all sizes.
MyLoc does cater to a variety of business sizes and has the ability and facilities to manage even those organisations with sensitive or mission-critical data and applications. Whats more, the board are willing to try out new technologies and services that help to keep the company at the forefront of data centre service provision in Germany.