MDXi Appolonia, the data center subsidiary of MainOne, an Equinix company in Ghana, has just received its Tier III Constructed Facility certification (TCCF) from the Uptime Institute.

 With this new milestone, MDXi Appolonia becomes the leading data center provider in Ghana with the top 4 certifications in the industry; the Tier III Constructed Facility certification, TCCF; the PCI-DSS certification which certifies the Data center to process payment card information; ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications which assures information security and quality management at the MDXi Appolonia Data Center, and further reinforces MDXi’s position as the leading data center provider in West Africa.

The MDXi Appolonia facility receives this TCCF following onsite testing by the Uptime team and is a progression from the Tier Certification of Design Documents (TCCD) that was issued by uptime following the review of designs of the facility during construction.

The data center which features private data center suites, enterprise-grade 24×7 multi-level security and video surveillance, precision cooling, safety and fire suppression systems with multiple redundancies built into the power, cooling and security infrastructure has maintained 100% uptime since launch, and is managed by highly trained, best-in-class engineers operating from a state-of-the-art Operations Center matching international standards.

Africa Data Centres,one of the data center service providers in Africa and boast of the continent’s first network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data center facilities has called for in-country hosting of cloud services across Africa. 

Dr. Krish Ranganath, Chief Technology Officer of Africa Data Centres, made the call at a Zoom Webinar with the theme ‘Bringing you to the Future: The Journey Towards a Cloud Lifestyle’, which was organised by CWG in partnership with Africa Data Centres and Zadara. 

He highlighted the benefits of In-House cloud services to include optimal service performance, improved network, data localisation, payment in local currency, in-country support and proximity to data.

“Many companies worry about losing control over their data when it moves to the cloud, but when your company’s data is stored at a local cloud data center, you always know where your data is and how it is being protected,” he said.

He maintained that localisation of data must be a priority when considering the adoption of cloud computing, as scalable cloud computing resources located within the region mean that companies can take advantage of the cloud without the drawbacks of moving workloads to data centers that are farther away.

Explained that some industries have regulatory and compliance requirements that mandate that data is maintained locally, the Africa Data Centres CTO stated that Nigeria and other African countries need to start trusting their business which is locally grown. Such a gesture, according to him will provide numerous employment opportunities for the young talents and improve the economy.

“If your cloud provider is close by, you can even visit the cloud data center. Taking a tour will allow you to see what security resources are in place and to better understand the people and processes that exist to keep your cloud workloads secure and running smoothly,” he added. 

Africa Data Centres is a business of Cassava Technologies Limited and a trusted partner to local and global enterprises for rapid and secure data centre services and interconnections in Africa. 

Africa Data Centres owns and operates Africa’s largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities. Strategically located, our world-class data centre facilities provide a home for business-critical data for enterprises in Africa. The company boasts of services such as colocation, pay-per-use power, cross-connects, Internet exchange, Cloud connections and Partner ecosystem.

Equinix Inc, the world’s digital infrastructure company has acquired MainOne, West Africa’s data centre and connectivity solutions provider for £320 million as the American company prepares to enter the African market.

The acquisition is expected to close Q1 of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including the requisite regulatory approvals. MainOne has presence in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

Under the terms of the transaction, the management team, including CEO Funke Opeke, will continue to serve in their respective roles. With more than 200 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and, along with Ghana, has become an established data centre hub.

Equinix believes MainOne to be one of the most exciting technology businesses to emerge from Africa. Founded by Funke Opeke in 2010, the company has enabled connectivity for the business community of Nigeria and now has digital infrastructure assets including three operational data centres, with an additional facility under construction expected to open in Q1 2022.

 Upon closing, these facilities will add more than 64,000 gross square feet of space to Platform Equinix, with 570,000 square feet of land for future expansions. MainOne owns and operates a subsea network from Nigeria to Portugal, as well as 1,200 kilometers of reliable terrestrial fiber network across southern Nigeria.

These are all improving connectivity to and from Europe, West African countries and the major business communities in Nigeria. When completed, this acquisition will extend Platform Equinix into West Africa, giving organizations based inside and outside of Africa access to one of the world’s fastest growing markets.

President and CEO, Equinix, Charles Meyers said: “The acquisition of MainOne will represent a critical point of entry for Platform Equinix into the expansive and rapidly growing African market. MainOne’s leading interconnection position and experienced management team represent critical assets in our aspirations to be the leading neutral provider of digital infrastructure in Africa.

“Growth of data consumption in Africa is amongst the fastest in the world, and our customers are looking for a trusted partner to pursue the opportunities presented by broad mobile adoption and greater connectivity across the region. MainOne’s infrastructure, customer relationships, partner ecosystem and operating capability will extend the reach of Platform Equinix and bolster opportunities for customers in Africa and throughout the world,” he added.