SURFnet Picks TeleCity for Data Center

TeleCity announced that SURFnet has selected TeleCity's datacentre in Amsterdam as one of their two central points of presence for SURFnet6, SURFnet's next generation network which will go live in 2005. 

SURFnet is the organisation behind the Dutch computer network for science and higher education which connects more than 150 institutions to each other and the rest of the world.

"We anticipate that the SURFnet6 network will become an integral part of scientific instruments and research. As a consequence, we expect the data traffic volume to increase massively over time," says Erik-Jan Bos, Director of Network Services at SURFnet.

Previously, SURFnet had router equipment located at the sites of the Dutch universities and scientific institutions. SURFnet6 will centralise this to two points of presence, one of which will be located at TeleCity.  This streamlining will help both the institutions and SURFnet to minimise expenditure on infrastructure while increasing services and flexibility for end users.

"We identified and selected TeleCity as our colocation provider due to the broad range of services on offer," says Bos. "In addition, the presence of AMS-IX, the Dutch Internet exchange point, at TeleCity was also an important factor in the decision making process.

"TeleCity is well-equipped to service the requirements of SURFnet's new network," says Patrick van der Wilt, account manager at TeleCity. "We look forward to helping SURFnet build, launch and develop SURFnet6 as effectively as they have planned."

SURFnet operates and innovates the national research network, to which over 150 institutions in higher education and research in the Netherlands are connected. The organization is among the leading research network operators in the world.