Secure I.T. Environments Ltd, one of the UK’s design and build companies of modular data centres, containerised data centres and refurbishment of existing data centres, has announced the completion of its data centre relocation project for Ridgeons, Timber and Builders Merchants.
The project involved the closure of a data centre, originally built by Secure I.T. Environments in 2007, and relocation to new facilities on an existing Ridgeons depot site, following the sale of land in Cambridge. Throughout its lifetime the original site was maintained and serviced by Secure I.T. Environments giving the company an excellent understanding of the client’s needs.
New site design is challenging due to its smaller size
The new site design introduced, is challenging due to its smaller size and location, however, given the team’s close relationship with Ridgeons, a design solution was found and the associated risks with planning the transfer of services were mitigated. The project was completed in just 10 weeks.
New developments in server and cabinet technology meant no compromise had to be made on the compute and storage power available to Ridgeons, despite the new data centre site being smaller. The project included new incoming power supply, UPS in N+1 format, energy efficient air conditioning, structured cabling, access control / CCTV, a Novec fire suppression and detection system, 19” cabinets with intelligent power distribution, environmental monitoring, as well as general building works.
Secure decommissioning of the Ridgeon site
Secure I.T. Environments will also relocate the existing generator as part of decommissioning the original site, creating cost savings for Ridgeons. The full decommissioning project will involve taking out all the fire suppression, air conditioning, UPS, cabinets cabling and power. The team will also decommission the structure, ensuring that is securely and responsibly recycled, only disposing of materials when needed and in a way that will minimise waste and environmental impact.
“The team at Secure I.T. Environments is by far one of the best I have had the pleasure of working with,” said Nathan Draper, Group IT Manager at Ridgeons. “The decision to move a data centre is not something to be taken lightly and requires great planning if the day to day running of your business relies on those services. Secure I.T. Environments’ approach gave us great confidence that the risks were low, and it has all gone to plan.”
Chris Wellfair, Projects Director at Secure I.T. Environments, added “The relationship we have with Ridgeons has been a long-standing one that is set to continue. To be selected for their next data centre project ten years after we first started working with them, shows the depth of trust they had in us to deliver the project with minimum risk and value for money.”