SSE Enterprise Telecoms is a UK based provider of data centre colocation services and owner of a fast national fibre optic network. It also owns 230 points of presence (PoPs) that connect businesses and third party data centres throughout the UK. SSE can provide bespoke network connections to large businesses and its recently introduced LIGHTNOW service offers a 1 -10 Gigabit low latency, high capacity Ethernet connection between twenty one London data centres and nine in Manchester.
SSE has seen growing demand for its data centre and network services over recent years and is investing heavily in broadening its capacity in both areas. The company is focussing on adding seven Manchester data centres to its network to cater for the recent mass-migration of major companies to the city, including the BBC.
Location
SSE owns and operates 16 self-built small regional data centres throughout the UK which are connected via its own 13,700km nationwide fibre optic network. These centres are geared up for communications and non-critical data storage (data back-up and archiving) and are connected to 91 major third party data centres via its own network. All owned data centres are within close proximity to major cities or towns and offer secure access controls and perimeter security measures.
SSE data centres are in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow (2), Nottingham, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Evesham, Birmingham, Peterborough, Burnley, Cambridge, Bristol, Fareham and Newbury. The company itself is headquartered in Perth, Scotland.
Whilst exact specifications vary from site to site, most SSE regional data centres offer a bespoke range of rack and power options. Up to 50 racks are available per customer and each rack can offer up to 5KW. Managed wavelengths services are available on demand at many centres, which offer low latency, high capacity connectivity for financial trading, communications systems and cloud-based services. Other connectivity features include ethernet VPN, internet access and IP transit services and all centres have N+1 cooling systems, generator and UPS as a standard.
Energy
As a subsidiary of an energy supplier, SSE telecoms are positioned well to incorporate energy efficiencies into its data centres, including smart monitoring and data centre management tools like nlyte. These have allowed SSE telecoms to identify opportunities to save energy by spreading cooling and power demands where they are needed, reducing energy use and planning efficiencies into upgrades and replacements.
Funding/business model
SSE Enterprise Telecoms is a wholly owned subsidiary of SSE Plc (formerly Scottish and Southern Energy). It was established in 1997, registered in 2000 and had a turnover in 2014 of £55 million. It entered the data centre market in 2009 by buying Cantono and has continued to expand at a moderate pace since. It invests heavily in upgrading and expanding network infrastructure and has plans to add multiple new data centres to its network over 2015 and 16.
Customers and partners
Thanks to its extensive network infrastructure and ability to provide bespoke network services, SSE has a wide circle of clients that includes data centres, major businesses and small to medium sized companies.
Customers of SSE include e-on, Everest Data Centres, TalkTalk, Brewin Dolphin and the widely-distributed University of Law. SSE is the main infrastructure provider for Janet following a tender win, which links universities and other Higher Education institutions together in their own, national network.
SSE also works in partnership with other telecommunications companies in order to mutually expand its network. Such partners include HighNet, brightsolid and Tampnet.
Excellent local coverage with easy access to more advanced services
SSE colocation services are ideal for any size of company with moderate data centre demands. These smaller sites are designed for everyday commercial uses and therefore offer a more affordable and local alternative to the high-security options available nationally. For businesses that benefit from SSEs own data centres but need a little more in terms of security or power, SSE is connected in to 91 major data centres nationally.
Flexible and bespoke services, service level agreements that cover both colocation and communications and connectivity via one of the UKs largest network infrastructure owners means great value and reliability is available in a good choice of locations. Scottish coverage is excellent, and offers Scottish business the same level of network quality as the rest of the UK.