Cologix Vancouver VAN3: Cologix opens 3rd Vancouver Data Center

DENVER  – Cologix, a network-neutral interconnection and hyperscale edge data center company, today announced the opening of its new more than 42K SQF data center with 5MW of power. VAN3 is located at 2828 Natal Street in Vancouver and is the region’s largest network neutral data center with direct connectivity to the Cologix operated carrier hotel at 555 Hastings. VAN3 offers connectivity to Amazon Web Services® Direct Connect, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft® Azure ExpressRoute, IBM Cloud and Oracle FastConnect.

To meet growing demand for additional capacity and robust interconnection at the digital edge, Cologix continues to expand its presence in Canada. Vancouver is the third largest city in Canada, has a strong digital content and media industry and acts as a gateway to all Asian markets.

“Tripling our capacity in Vancouver, our VAN3 data center is a direct response to the growing demand for highly connected and scalable data center capacity from local digital media-intensive businesses and global cloud players,” said Bill Fathers, Chairman and CEO of Cologix. “Vancouver’s economy has been propelled by film production, content, gaming and high tech companies as well as expansions of global SaaS, cloud and APAC hyperscalers. After VAN2 expansions sold out in six months, we responded by designing and delivering a new purpose-built facility to support high-density customers as they move workloads to the cloud and need direct access to hyperscale cloud providers.”

Tethered to Cologix’s VAN1 Carrier Hotel, and VAN2, its enterprise-grade annex at 1050 West Pender, VAN3 provides a direct link to VAN1 with access via diverse, scalable metro fiber. VAN3 is about 7KM or about a 20 minute drive from the other data centers.

A Tier III design, constructed, and commissioned facility, VAN3 is a customizable data center, delivering an additional 42K+ SQF to Vancouver in a 2-story facility with dedicated, diverse, below-ground fiber connections. It offers 5 MW of capacity for high-density customer needs and up to 20 kW per cabinet with N+1 cooling, and a power system (generator, UPS and PDU) that ensures complete power chain diversity delivered on two independent cords at each cabinet.

Fathers added: “VAN3 cements our position as the leading network and cloud interconnection provider in Canada with the unique ability to support data sovereignty requirements with our 16 data centers across Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.”

Customer Quotes

“Cologix has been top-notch in their ability to respond and adjust to our ever-changing needs,” said Dean Fogarty, Director of Information Technology at Absolute Software Corporation. “Their 5-star preventative maintenance program, combined with unlimited growth and connectivity options provide for a safe, secure and agile vendor-of-choice for us. Cologix is not a ‘sign-and-forget’ service provider. Their team constantly reaches out to our organization to ensure a strong relationship, while keeping their eye on the pulse of our operations and aid with future endeavors.”

“Vancouver Internet Exchange (VANIX) participants need low latency, fast network performance, a safe and reliable environment, and robust connectivity,” said Scott Jamison, Director of Engineering Services at VANIX. “We, at VANIX, are a strong, dependable, and diverse group of organizations dedicated to improving the Internet in Canada through collaboration and cooperation. Cologix, through kindly providing VANIX with space, power and fibre, has contributed to make the distributed exchange an oasis of neutrality within the competitive landscape and key technology portal between Canada and the world.”

Available Capacity in Vancouver

Totaling more than 60K SQF and 8 MW of power in Vancouver, hyperscale cloud and content providers can build resiliency, add connectivity into their platforms and tap into the vast ecosystem of customers within the Cologix data centers.

“Our new VAN3 facility represents the next step in Cologix’s ongoing strategy to invest in and remain the market leader in colocation and interconnection services throughout Canada,” said Sean Maskell, President Cologix Canada. “Our new state-of-the-art, Tier III data center is ready for service, offering a truly unique experience and future proof solutions to meet growing customer demand in Vancouver’s booming economy.”

Other VAN3 Highlights

Best available network neutral connectivity: Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs) within Cologix facilities with access to 20+ unique network provider PoPs onsite and the Vancouver Internet Exchange (VANIX) at VAN1. VAN3 offers two Cologix MMRs with the most available capacity in the market.

Central location: In Vancouver, VAN3 is 7KM from VAN1 & VAN2 and directly linked to both data centers via a diverse underground fiber ring.

Green Technology: Designed for ultra-efficiency enabling the outside climate to cool the data center for the majority of the year, the chillers utilize state-of-the-art, frictionless, magnetic levitation compressors coupled with built in free cooling coils. Hot aisle containment systems are utilized throughout the data center to achieve a best in class PUE.

Security: The facility is protected on all sides by a 12 foot K-rated fence, K-rated gates, 94 cameras inside and outside the facility, badge and biometric systems and 24×7 guards located in a highly secure security station with bulletproof protection that ensures customer’s critical and confidential equipment and data is protected at all times.

24×7 Remote Monitoring: In addition to onsite 24×7 staff, VAN3 infrastructure is monitored by two geographically diverse network operations centers via state-of-the-art Data Center Information Monitoring (DCIM) system watching over all critical infrastructure as well as each individual customer’s power circuits.

Top certifications and security: SOC 1, SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS compliant.

Environmental risk investments: $5 million in seismic upgrades to help protect customers in the event of an earthquake in the Tier III constructed facility.