Capita has partnered with Ark Data Centres to supply secure, energy efficient data centre space for the new Capita Private Cloud platform (infrastructure as a service). The move allows Capita IT Enterprise Services to develop standard infrastructures, processes and services that it can offer customers rather than creating bespoke solutions in every case.

By using Ark’s data centres, Capita IT Enterprise Services will outlay one tenth of the capital cost compared to that of maintaining its existing facilities, and will at the same time reduce its environmental footprint. Thanks to Ark’s efficient and carbon reducing data centre services, Capita IT Enterprise Services, in turn, will be able to pass those savings onto its customers to further enhance its service and customer relationships.

As organisations adopt cloud computing practices, more and more data is being stored in data centres. With this reliance on stored data, customers expect it to always be available, which means that data centres now need robust reliability. However, with more data centres storing increasing amounts of data, the power used in running, cooling and maintaining these has increased significantly. The efficiency of Ark data centres saves customers on average around £1.1 million per megawatt and over 6,000 tonnes of carbon annually compared with an average data centre facility — lowering the total cost of ownership across the industry.

Peter Hands, executive director, Capita IT Enterprise Services, “Ark Data Centres offers modern facilities which integrate its innovation in cooling technology, dynamic monitoring, modularity, security by building not site, guaranteed power usage effectiveness (PUE) and speed. Combined with our expertise in cloud based services, we’re in prime position to deliver the availability that our customers need, with the flexibility and security that they want and with the reduced carbon footprint that everyone seeks.”

The Ark data centre solution consists of modular installations which, when complete, offer data centres that can power and cool up to 9MW of IT split over twelve data rooms, each with seven data aisles with space for up to 28 cabinets or in Capita’s case, Vblocks. The nature of Ark’s air-cooled environment, controlled by unique Match Technology allows for racks to be deployed in any configuration. The unique benefits of the Matching Technology also allows Capita IT Enterprise Services to provide a fixed efficiency guarantee irrespective of equipment age, power draw or weight.

VCE’s David Locke said, “The state of the art facility is fantastic, the best we have ever seen. It was so easy to work in that we completed the installation two days ahead of schedule.”

With Capita IT Enterprise Services’ breadth of capability in transforming business through IT and its data storage service offerings it is likely that Ark Data Centres will also be able to serve Capita IT Enterprise Services’ clients as well as Capita itself.

“At Ark we are fully focused on delivering data centres. Just data centres, but those that are the very best,” commented Huw Owen, CEO, Ark Data Centres. “We don’t attempt to sell further up the IT services stack. As a result, all Ark customers enjoy a professional relationship of integrity and complete trust.”

He continued, “As part of a financially stable, FTSE 100 company, Capita IT Enterprise Services represents a significant top tier client for Ark Data Centres. Capita IT Enterprise Services has a lengthy track record and reputation in data centre management and so it is testimony to the performance and quality of Ark’s data centres that Capita IT Enterprise Services has chosen to position its services in our data centres.”

Following the success of the Capita Private Cloud, two further installations are planned across Ark’s data centre campuses. Ark has two campuses in Hampshire and Wiltshire, each with planning consent for up to five data centres. Each campus is sustainably managed with dedicated power, and the latest innovations, to accommodate clients with the inclusion of swing space to take advantage of demand peaks and troughs and to rotate clients around the campus as technologies advance and new facilities are constructed.

This article was originally posted “Capita Selects Ark Data Centres For New Capita Private Cloud Service” from Cloud Strategy Magazine.