Modern data centers are the foundations for a smart economy built from IoT platforms and ecosystems. However, to ensure the long-term stability of those foundations, data center technology performance and efficiency have to be improved step by step. If this is achieved through collaboration and open access we can guarantee that the best ideas are ultimately adopted. The European OCP Experience Center, which recently opened at maincubes’ AMS01 data center in Amsterdam, follows the Open Compute Project principles.At the beginning of 2009 Facebook already had over 150 million users. Just one month later that figure had risen by another 25 million. The company realized that it had to rethink its infrastructure to accommodate the huge influx of new people, so a small team of engineers started a project to build a new one. The result of their work now stands in Prineville, Oregon; a facility that is 38 percent more energy efficient and 24 percent less expensive to run than the company’s previous facilities. In 2011 Facebook shared its designs with the public and – along with Intel, Rackspace, Goldman Sachs and Andy Bechtolsheim – launched the Open Compute Project. The idea was to create a movement in the hardware space that would bring about the same kind of creativity and collaboration we see in open source software, and initiate sustainable developments. The European OCP Experience Center was established to reflect the movement’s principles. It has been located at the maincubes data center in Amsterdam since July 2019.

Reciprocal support for mutual strength

Many European enterprises, even governments and their authorities, have recognized the advantages of OCP technology and introduced OCP principles in their infrastructures. There is also widespread interest in being part of a collaborative community which focuses on developing ideas and leveraging reciprocal benefits.

The horizontal connection of many servers not only substantially improves scalability but also optimizes computing resources. This is additionally associated with advantages such as cost reductions, lower energy consumption, and obvious flexibility gains.

Collaborative efforts and open exchange between professionals makes it possible to remedy problems more effectively, and develop new approaches. It also drives the development and optimization of data center hardware, and makes the process considerably more efficient. The European OCP Experience Center provides the space, tools, and infrastructure, plus connectivity experts with an extensive knowledge, and many years of experience.

Equipped for the smart economy

Despite the results already achieved, it is important to continue raising awareness for OCP principles in Europe so that disruptive developments for the smart economy can be more clearly perceived as opportunities. The IHS analysts have forecasted that the market for OCP technologies will reach 10.7 billion dollars in 2022.

Education, demonstrations, an ultra-modern test environment, and personal support make the European OCP Experience Center at the AMS01 data center the ideal vehicle for the propagation of OCP technologies and OCP principles. It provides data center owners and managers in Europe with a forum for collaboration and know-how exchange, and fosters the development of leading-edge data center hardware innovations that make a proactive contribution to the future smart economy.

Anyone who is interested can visit the European OCP Experience Center at the maincubes AMS01 data center in Amsterdam. The following link takes you to the registration form: european open compute project experience center