BlueBridge Networks (BBN) offers cloud computing, data center services, and infrastructure solutions from geographically diverse facilities throughout Ohio. After running the cloud business in Cleveland and Mayfield Heights, BBN needed to expand its infrastructure to support growing demand. By moving its network node to Columbus, the company could also focus on the local enterprise market and provide a regional failover site.
BBN focuses on providing the highest standards for uptime, quality and service, and as such, required a data center colocation provider able to meet these rigorous prerequisites and support BBN’s expansion. Another driving factor was the vital need to remain strong and competitive in order to stand out in a big box of commodities, while reducing hops and distance to additional fiber. Additionally, BBN clients added data center compliance essentials in order to meet strict industry regulations such as HIPAA and others. “In a web- and data-centric world, the responsibility we have as stewards of our clients’ lifeblood is huge,” said Kevin Goodman, BBN managing director and partner.
The company requires 24/7 high availability (including in sandbox environments) as well as network infrastructure that facilitates millisecond speed increases for an optimal enduser experience. As a cloud provider, BBN also sought a neutral data center provider that enables a non-competitive, symbiotic relationship, instead of competing with BBN on cloud services.
By choosing Cologix’s Columbus data center for cabinet space, redundant A+B power, and access to additional dedicated point-to-point circuits between Cleveland and Columbus, BBN gained “the ability to compete effectively with regional players operating local or national facilities with the opportunity to be in an equal or better facility than our own data centers,” according to Goodman. Cologix Columbus promises a 100% uptime environment, as evidenced in the fact that customers have not experienced one outage. The site is also on the national power grid 3 vs. the national grid 2 in Cleveland. This offers BBN true failover with two geographically diverse locations backing up each other, benefiting BBN customers with an extremely robust power and network infrastructure.
After looking at various data centers in the area, BBN chose Cologix for the industry-leading power supply (up to 65 kW per cabinet) as well as 2N redundancy that covers both power and air conditioning. Additionally, Cologix’s Columbus data center is the only facility in Ohio able to achieve SSAE 16 SOC 1 and SOC Type 2 audits, which makes it easier for BBN to do business with enterprise customers. This also provides BBN with an immediate level of credibility and confidence, while also reducing the company’s capital expenditure and saving its customers’ money. Compliance ultimately further augments BBN’s mission of keeping businesses in business. Cologix also supports BBN with meeting EU Safe Harbor requirements, PCI compliance, HIPAA, and others, which facilitates certain physical and logical elements of security so BBN can continue to deliver cloud offerings in a robust, highly available, secure manner.
The Cologix Columbus team also provides local, personal touch points, and direct access to technicians. With 500,000 data center square footage across 21 data centers throughout North America, BBN is able to enter new markets with Cologix with the same kind of service, interconnectivity and security that the company is used to at the Cologix Columbus facilities. Additionally, access to more than 350 unique network carriers and 850 Cologix customers opens significant business opportunities through direct, on-site connections with companies potentially interested in premium cloud services.
“At the end of the day, our mission of keeping businesses in business is further enhanced by the Cologix relationship. We can come into an existing data center much more cost effectively. In many ways, we’ve gotten better with more access and interconnectivity to multiple facilities and markets,” concluded Goodman.
This article was originally posted “Technology solutions provider meets growing cloud demand through colocation” from Cloud Strategy Magazine.
