OVHcloud Opens New Data Centre and Invests $145 Million in the Toronto Area

CAMBRIDGE, ON, March 13, 2024 /CNW/ - OVHcloud continues its international expansion with the opening of a second Canadian site (the Group's 42nd data centre), supported by a long-term investment of CAD 145 million. Located in Cambridge, Ontario, the OVHcloud data centre is in the heart of one of North America's most dynamic innovation clusters, providing trusted cloud solutions meeting the heightened demands of Canadian businesses in terms of performance, resilience, and data governance.

A global player and European leader in cloud computing, OVHcloud has been established in Canada since 2011, where it employs 250 people and operates 90,000 servers hosted in one of the industry's most eco-responsible data centres, located on Montreal's South Shore. OVHcloud is opening its first site in Ontario, supported by a CAD 145 million investment over the next 8 years, to support the growth and needs of its customers within a framework of extended trust. Dedicated to the development of its new data centre and to the industrial innovations that are the hallmark of the trusted cloud leader, this investment includes, in its first phase, the hiring of a number of qualified talents.

Located in the Ascent TOR1 hyperscale development, this new data centre has a surface area of 1,000 m², a capacity of 10,000 servers and 2MW of power. More than just a data centre, it embodies the technological know-how that has earned OVHcloud its reputation for operational excellence and energy efficiency. Its vertically integrated model (OVHcloud builds its own servers, up to 600 a week in its Beauharnois plant) and the industrial scale-up of its water-cooling technology are major assets in guaranteeing an optimal performance-price ratio and a controlled environmental footprint, in line with the expectations of businesses that want to exercise full control over their digital assets.

"This new data centre marks a major turning point in the history of OVHcloud in Canada, enabling our customers and businesses in the Toronto area to strengthen their infrastructure while retaining full control of their cloud journey, free from any form of technological or pricing lock-in. We're also looking forward to making a difference by continuing to innovate for a sustainable digital environment" - Estelle Azemard, Vice President Americas, OVHcloud.

Giving companies greater control over their digital journey
In this age of hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, the arrival of OVHcloud in the Toronto area offers a real alternative for companies wishing to diversify and consolidate their cloud infrastructure, based on trusted solutions that meet a variety of requirements.

Reduced visibility of the macro-economic context calls for optimization of cloud spending, and OVHcloud meets this challenge with a pricing model that is predictable, has no hidden costs, charges no egress fees, and includes both inbound and outbound traffic. 

Guaranteeing enhanced resilience, thanks to a multi-site footprint, this new data centre is particularly well-suited to companies requiring a second, geographically-distant Canadian data centre to deploy their backup or disaster recovery solution. They can rely on the robustness of OVHcloud's own network, connected to several points of presence (PoPs) in Montréal and Toronto, and more than 40 worldwide.

It will also meet the growing demands of highly regulated industries, increasingly intransigent about data sovereignty. Public services, healthcare, financial services, professional services, or telecommunications can count on OVHcloud's exemplary level of compliance with the highest industry certifications (ISO 27001-017-018, SOC 2 Type 2, CSA Star), as well as the total immunity of its solutions to extraterritorial legislation, such as the US Cloud Act.

An evolving portfolio
To meet these requirements, a varied and competitive range of solutions is now available in the Cambridge data centre:

• Scale and High Grade dedicated servers, designed for complex infrastructures and optimized for mission-critical workloads. Powered by the latest AMD and Intel processors, they meet the new challenges of hyper-convergence, storage and AI, without compromising on performance and availability.
• A complete Object Storage solution compatible with the S3 API, as effective for platform modernization as for data backup.
• Network and connectivity options such as Additional IP for application flexibility, and Load Balancer for efficient load balancing across multiple data centres. Ascent TOR data centre has ultra low latency to the greater Toronto region.
• The OVHcloud Connect solution, which enables 100% private and highly resilient interconnection (SLA of 99.99%) of its on-prem infrastructure with the OVHcloud network.
• And, of course, emblematic (and free) OVHcloud services, such as the vRack private network, which connects services between several OVHcloud data centres, or Anti-DDoS to protect infrastructures against computer attacks.

In 2024, the Private Cloud solution leveraging VMware by Broadcom will be added, offering an additional option for companies wishing to boost their level of resilience by activating Veeam or Zerto virtualized solutions in a 100% dedicated environment.

Building a sustainable digital ecosystem
In a move towards regional integration similar to what it has been doing in Quebec for over 10 years, OVHcloud is committed to stimulating innovation and helping to build a trusted digital ecosystem in the Waterloo region - which includes the cities of Waterloo, Cambridge and Kitchener. This region is the entrepreneurial heart of the country, and together with Toronto forms an internationally renowned innovation corridor, the 2^nd largest technology hub in North America after Silicon Valley, and one of the world's Top 20 startup ecosystems.

As such, start-ups' appetite for cloud computing will naturally find refuge in the dedicated startup program that OVHcloud makes available to support innovation. Open to all, it offers selected startups up to $100,000 in infrastructure credits and personalized support based on open, reversible and interoperable cloud solutions.

Finally, OVHcloud's commitment to sustainability is reflected positively in Ontario, which is over 90% powered by low-carbon energy sources. Its integrated industrial model and proprietary liquid cooling technology have enabled it to achieve some of the best energy efficiency ratings in the industry. OVHcloud is also the only cloud provider to offer its customers the opportunity to measure the carbon footprint of their cloud services, thanks to a carbon calculator that analyzes the entire lifecycle of their infrastructure, from manufacturing to operation (scope 1-2-3).

Local officials and business partners welcome OVHcloud 
"Late last year, I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Michel Paulin, CEO OVHcloud, and tour the OVHcloud facility as part of the WREDC mission to Europe. I am proud to welcome OVHcloud to Cambridge as they continue their international expansion by choosing Cambridge as their second Canadian location. OVHcloud is a leader in the industry and committed to sustainability, optimizing data centre energy consumption through innovative and more efficient cooling systems, as well as reducing IT components waste. This long-term investment of $145 million helps to strengthen the Toronto-Waterloo Region Innovation Corridor, the 2nd largest technology corridor cluster in North America, and continues to position Cambridge as a top-tier destination for technology businesses, talent, and investors from around the world." - Mayor Jan Liggett, City of Cambridge.

"OVHcloud is an excellent fit in the Waterloo region tech ecosystem. An innovative company ? a disruptor ? that offers sustainable and secure cloud solutions, OVHcloud is not only an exciting new investment in our community's success but also a respected partner to the startup community and businesses that value data sovereignty, like cybersecurity, fintech, insurance and more. Bienvenue dans la région de Waterloo!" - Tony LaMantia, President & CEO of Waterloo EDC 

"We're thrilled to have been selected to partner with OVHcloud. The team of engineers kept a customer-first focus and worked seamlessly together to deliver this unique project that is at the forefront of data centre innovation. Our shared commitment is a testament to delivering unparalleled efficiency and effective solutions for highly secure data centres, that ultimately navigate the complexities of high-density demands."- Robert Painter, President, Ascent.

About OVHcloud
OVHcloud is a global player and the leading European cloud provider operating over 450,000 servers within 42 data centres across 4 continents to reach 1,6 million customers in over 140 countries. With a strong presence in Canada since 2011, OVHcloud is spearheading a trusted cloud and pioneering a sustainable cloud with the best performance-price ratio, leveraging for over 20 years an integrated model that guarantees total control of its value chain: from the design of its servers to the construction and management of its data centres, including the orchestration of its fiber-optic network. This unique approach enables OVHcloud to independently cover all the uses of its customers so they can seize the benefits of an environmentally conscious model with a frugal use of resources and a carbon footprint reaching the best ratios in the industry. OVHcloud now offers customers the latest-generation solutions combining performance, predictable pricing, and complete data sovereignty to support their unfettered growth.

Find out more about OVHcloud in Canada.

SOURCE OVHcloud