Category: Colocation

IX Scotland – Why might it work this time?

Yesterday the BBC ran this news item about the launch of a new Internet Exchange in Edinburgh – IX Scotland. This is the latest in an emerging trend of local IXPs developing in the UK, such as IX Leeds and IX Manchester.

There was some belief that this is the first Internet Exchange in Scotland, however those people have short memories. There have been two (or three) depending on how you look at it, attempts at getting a working IXP in Edinburgh in the past 15 years, all of which ultimately failed.

So, why should IX Scotland be any different to it’s predecessors? Continue reading “IX Scotland – Why might it work this time?”

Latest Datacentre Expansion in Leeds

The Yorkshire Evening Post carried a story today about the future of the former Tetley’s Brewery site in Leeds, which closed back in June.

Leeds-based Internet and Telephony Services company aql have announced they are part of a consortium who wants to redevelop part of the site, to include more new co-location space, complementing their nearby redevelopment of the historic Salem Church, another Leeds landmark being saved from dereliction.

This also good news for the rapidly developing Leeds-based IXP – IXLeeds, who’s switch is co-located at the aql Salem Church facility. It opens up further access to co-location for the future, and further promotes technology growth in the region.

Old brewery buildings make good bases for something such as co-location, due to the buildings being engineered for high floor loadings. Part of the old Truman Brewery site on London’s Brick Lane was reborn as a datacentre some years ago, so there’s a sound precedent for this part of the redvelopment.

Adam Beaumont, aql founder, said that he’s “always looking for new ways to combine his interests of technology and beer” :).

This new plan deserves to go ahead for a number of reasons, and not only because it is significantly better than Carlsberg’s original proposal: To build a car park, locally dubbed as “Probably the most unadventurous redevelopment plan in the world“. Hilarious.

Telecity Dominance in Manchester continues?

It’s been a busy week for Manchester-based data centre UK Grid. Firstly, they announce a tie up with AMS-IX and IX Reach to provide a virtual blob of Dutch peering goodness in Manchester’s Science Park, then today, it’s announced that Telecity Group have acquired the UK Grid business, adding three further datacentres to their Manchester operations.

This certainly stays true to Telecity’s current form, which is to buy up competing data centre operators, having acquired Manchester’s IFL and Dublin’s DEG in fairly short order over the last 18 months, significantly increasing Telecity Group’s share, making them something of a dominant player in those markets.

Local (and privately-held) competitor M247 put their own slant on Telecity’s latest move in Manchester by announcing an acquisition of their own: a new building to enable further expansion.