Interxion together with Microsoft, KPN International, NL-ix, and HP has announced the launch of the Cloud Testlab, a turnkey cloud hosting test environment for service providers, combining industry-leading software, systems, connectivity, and colocation capabilities. The collaboration is designed to enable hosting providers to develop cloud services and virtualized environments for their customers at high speed and with best-in-class performance guarantees.

The first platform deployed in the Cloud Testlab is the Microsoft Dynamic Data Center (DDC) Toolkit for Hosters, which is built on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center. The toolkit enables hosters to establish service level agreements (SLAs) and create portals that customers can use to directly provision, manage, and monitor their infrastructure. Setup and testing of Microsoft’s Cloud solution for hosters is offered free of charge for a limited period and is available throughout Europe.

Microsoft DDC provides high levels of performance and security, with fast setup and easy scalability. It allows hosting providers to address the growing demand for dynamic cloud infrastructure delivered on state-of-the-art server architecture in high-availability data centers. Their portfolios can be extended with high-value, high-margin services, such as managed hosting, on-demand virtualized servers, clustering, and network services.

“Creating this test platform enables hosting partners to take the first step for customers moving to the cloud,” comments Andrew Lund, EMEA director, Business Services Operator Channels at Microsoft. “Through Microsoft Hyper-V technology, service provider customers can manage all of their physical and virtual resources from a single set of integrated management utilities.”

The platform is built on a single, shared-service environment (servers, storage and network). This environment, HP Converged Infrastructure, is based out of one of Interxion's 13 Cloud Hub data centers, which provide high levels of security and availability, and in-house access to a wide range of service providers, systems integrators and connectivity providers. Users of the test platform can either connect directly in the data center or access the solution via an Internet connection provided by NL-ix, one of the world’s largest Internet exchanges.

“Our HP Converged Infrastructure ensures the Cloud Testlab users a data center of the future that delivers a whole new level of simplicity, integration and automation,” said Sander Thonissen, manager, Service Providers Channel, HP.

Interxion’s Cloud Hubs offer the highest levels of redundancy, reliability and standards-based operation, with up to 2N UPS power and N+1 cooling, as well as advanced alarm and monitoring systems. Each data center is designed using Interxion’s energy-efficient modular architecture, with free cooling and maximum-efficiency components as standard. In a Cloud Hub data center, customers can access the major Tier 1 and Tier 2 networks, leading content distribution networks and Europe’s public Internet exchanges.

“Over the last ten years, NL-ix has developed to become one of world’s largest Internet exchanges, and NL-ix is proud to connect such a key player as Cloud Testlab to the center of the Internet via our network,” said Jan Hoogenboom, CEO of NL-ix.

“KPN’s international IP network ensures that service providers from across Europe can connect to the Cloud Testlab,” said Edwin Punt, product manager KPN International.

“Leveraging the Cloud Testlab enables private cloud solutions to be deployed in close proximity to business and residential users across Europe, delivering an exceptional end-user experience,” said Kevin Dean, Interxion CMO.