LCL is building a new data center in Aalst
 
Aalst, Antwerp, Diegem, November 14, 2019 - Data center company LCL is currently building a new data center "LCL Brussels West". For the design they already obtained the Tier III certificate from Uptime Institute. This is a first, crucial step for the Tier III certification of the new data center building. LCL is the first in Belgium to have a data center design in accordance with the Tier III classification of the Uptime Institute. LCL is investing around 15.5 million euros in the new data center.

The data center specialist LCL is currently building a new "Brussels West" data center in Aalst. The other two LCL data centers are located in Diegem and Antwerp. The design of the data center under construction was already awarded a Tier III certificate by the Uptime Institute. And that is a first in Belgium. The design is therefore in accordance with the Tier III requirements of Uptime Institute. This is a crucial recognition for the next step: a Tier III certificate for the entire LCL data center.

The Tier III classification stands for the highest level of redundancy and business continuity that a data center in Belgium can offer. "Uptime Institute is the reference when it comes to the certification of data centers," says Laurens van Reijen, managing director of LCL. "In comparison with other organizations, they apply the strictest conditions. They were also responsible for the development of the various Tier standards. Uptime Institute also has the most experience in this area in sectors where redundancy is even more important than average, such as in the financial and insurance world. ”

"LCL determines where the bar is for the data centers in Belgium," says Abdellah Mahlous, Operations Manager at LCL. "That is one of the commitments we have made when we set out our strategy."

A first in Belgium
LCL is the first Belgian company to receive this Uptime Institute certificate for the design of a data center. The design therefore meets a series of strict requirements from Uptime Institute. LCL is therefore very satisfied because without the design certificate, it is impossible to obtain the Tier III classification for the building itself from Uptime Institute.

"To have the best possible view of the way in which a data center is built, Uptime Institute works in two steps," says van Reijen. “The design of the building is assessed first. If this is found to be Tier III compliant, the finished building will also be examined afterwards. Uptime Institute also checks whether the building was built in accordance with the design. A design provides more insight into the construction of a building, compared to an audit of an existing building. This allows Uptime Institute to apply even stricter requirements."
 
Investment of € 15.5 million
LCL is allocating 15.5 million euros for the construction of LCL Brussels West. That amount also includes the purchase of the adjacent site with a view to expansion in the future. Construction is currently in full swing. The data center will be ready in 2020. LCL Brussels West will cover an area of ​​+/- 1950 m², which is almost triple the data center space that was already present in Aalst. “Because LCL's data center locations are sufficiently distant from each other, customers can perfectly use two LCL data centers as a backup solution,” says van Reijen.

Certification as part of the LCL business vision
LCL has always attached great importance to certification. For example, the data center is also compliant with standards ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISAE 3000 and ISAE 3402 type 2. These certificates and reports refer to efforts in the areas of safety, environmental legislation, information security, operational risk management and financial risk management, respectively. The ISAE reports were delivered by Deloitte.

"LCL stands for continuity, stability and trust," says van Reijen. “Obtaining the necessary certificates fits in perfectly with these core values. We mean it seriously and are therefore not just among the top 3 data centers in Belgium. We make a lot of efforts and major investments for this. That's how we make the difference. "