Know-how and components for sensitive data

Neunkirchen, 29th October 2020. With the support of SCHÄFER IT-Systems, Creditreform, one of Europe’s largest debt collection and credit report companies, has opened a new data centre to handle its sensitive data. For this failsafe IT facility, SCHÄFER IT-Systems supplied and installed 68 19” server and network racks including enclosures and cable ducts. 

Growth and technical progress have led to sensitive data and algorithms having to be moved from their previous home in Neuss to a bespoke cutting-edge computer and data centre in Hilden near Düsseldorf, purpose-built as a colocation centre that meets the highest security demands. Responsible for the project’s planning and implementation was the Neuss IT service provider Ecofis GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of the “Verband der Vereine Creditreform e.V.” (Union of Associates of Creditreform) which works exclusively for them. The room and its climate control concept were provided by the Colocation supplier. The 19” IT rack architecture, enclosures, cable ducts and the relevant spatial concept were all realised by SCHÄFER IT-Systems.

Implementation of the entire project required the closest cooperation between the project units at SCHÄFER IT-Systems and Ecofis. This enabled the products and services provided by SCHÄFER to be delivered successfully to Hilden in only three weeks. They were then installed, implemented and given final acceptance by Ecofis. “Seen in the overall context, we’ve created an individual, failsafe data centre that reflects the current state of the art in technology, is future-proof and sets entirely new standards in design,” is how Thomas Wermke, Business Unit Director at SCHÄFER IT-Systems enthusiastically describes the successful implementation for new customers Ecofis GmbH.

To the eye of the observer, the new data centre has the flair of a clean room, because the cabinets are coated in RAL 9016 (traffic white), and all the necessary ducts for fibre optic and copper cables are in the same colour tone. That makes good sense, as any contamination is immediately visible, especially as RAL 9016 is considered an easy-to-clean colour. “With the colour white, our data centre doesn’t fit the usual mould but we see a great trend here and delighted at the way the colour reinterprets the entire spatial perception. And this courageous colour choice ultimately symbolises what we stand for: data that’s clean and secure”, says Maik Röse, responsible for Data Centre Management & Infrastructure at Ecofis GmbH.