The Challenge Facing Data Centers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Data centers have become the backbone of the Digital Revolution, grappling with an explosion of data driven by increased online activity and the adoption of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Big Data. In this context, Willinn has emerged as a crucial technology partner, with 30 years of experience adapting to the changing demands of the market. In an interview with Federico Touriz, Head of Mission Critical, we explore how the company has established itself as an innovative leader committed to business growth through innovation and constant evolution.

"With the rise of artificial intelligence, the demand for available computing power is becoming increasingly important."

In an environment where technology permeates every business sector, ensuring business continuity, mitigating risks, and optimizing resources are essential to a company’s success. What solutions does Willinn offer to address these challenges?

Our goal is to help companies navigate their digital transformation process or their entry into today’s digital information landscape. We recognize the paramount importance of maintaining operational continuity for any business. That is why we take a consultative approach, standing alongside our clients. With over 30 years of experience, we understand the challenges of the transition to digital and focus on understanding our clients’ needs to help them adopt technologies that optimize their processes.

What are the advantages of being located in a business park like Zonamerica?

Being located within a technology park offers numerous benefits for our data center services. For example, our specific location provides us with additional layers of security, with up to four or five security rings, depending on the situation. Furthermore, being part of Zonamerica reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship, an integral part of our corporate philosophy. This commitment is evident in every aspect, including the design of our data centers, where we apply rigorous environmental standards.

Another key differentiator is our energy infrastructure. Since they are located within the park, our data centers are powered by our own substations, which are managed by our infrastructure team.

Our certified data centers are powered by different substations to ensure the independence of each power line, thereby guaranteeing redundancy and operational continuity. This configuration allows us to perform scheduled maintenance without service interruptions, maintaining operations even during unforeseen events. This approach is particularly important in the region, where energy stability is essential.

What motivated your decision to pursue Uptime Institute certifications?

We decided to pursue Uptime Institute certifications because of the rigorous security standards they entail. We believed we already met many of the security requirements, as well as our environmental commitments, which are inherent to Zonamerica. Furthermore, in the global market, Uptime Institute certifications are highly valued by customers, which led us to realize that pursuing this path would give us a significant competitive advantage.

To provide additional context, we consulted sources such as Data Center Map, which provides information on data centers worldwide, and cross-referenced this data with the list of data centers certified by the Uptime Institute. This organization offers various levels of certification, including design, construction, and operation. In terms of construction, we are the only fully TIER III-certified data center in Uruguay, which sets us apart from other options. In other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil, the number of certified data centers under construction is significantly lower compared to the total number of built data centers, demonstrating our leading position in the region in terms of quality and security certifications for data center infrastructure.

How do the data centers you mentioned earlier operate, given that they have locations in Uruguay, Colombia, and the United States?

In Uruguay, we currently have four data centers, one of which is used exclusively by a specific client, so we will exclude it from our broader analysis. In Colombia, we have a presence in a Tier IV data center, and we also have a presence at the NAP (Network Access Point) of the Americas, located in the Equinix Data Center in Miami. The NAP of the Americas is a crucial international network interconnection point that connects Latin America with North America and Europe.

We have established ring connections between all our locations in Uruguay, Colombia, and the NAP of the Americas. This allows us to access Colombia directly from both the Pacific and the Atlantic via the NAP, and vice versa. An additional benefit of having a presence at the NAP is that we can connect not only with other international network access providers but also directly with various public cloud providers. Although we offer colocation and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), we are also providers of our own public cloud. Our data centers serve a dual purpose: on the one hand, we offer colocation and IaaS services, and on the other hand, we support our cloud services.

To give you an idea of our scale in Uruguay, we currently have 156 racks and more than 600 square meters of floor space.

Are all of Willinn's data centers certified?

At Willinn, we have data centers in Uruguay that are TIER-certified. In addition, we have other data centers designed and built to the highest standards of redundancy, ensuring service availability even if they are not certified. This is because some companies require hosting in certified data centers, while others prefer options that do not necessarily have this certification.

Some companies choose to host their production environments in certified data centers, while using data centers that do not require certification for their testing environments. This strategy strikes a balance between cost and quality, thereby optimizing customers' investments.

What are the key differences between TIER III and TIER IV certifications in terms of design and redundancy for data centers?

To put this into context, at the TIER III certification level—which is the standard we follow in Uruguay—the minimum guaranteed availability is 99.987%, equivalent to a maximum of 1.6 hours of data center downtime per year. On the other hand, at the TIER IV certification level, which we have implemented in Colombia, the minimum guaranteed availability is 99.995%, representing only 26.3 minutes of annual data center downtime. Both levels require redundancy in critical components, although TIER IV certification demands a slightly higher level of redundancy.

In addition, TIER IV certification means that the infrastructure is designed to withstand natural disasters and adverse events. Since Uruguay does not face significant threats such as earthquakes or tsunamis, the need for TIER IV certification is not particularly relevant in this context.

Uruguay offers a favorable strategic, political, and climatic environment, which led us to choose a TIER III-certified data center as the appropriate solution for the region. In contrast, in Colombia, where conditions are different, we have deployed racks in a TIER IV-certified data center to ensure even higher levels of availability and redundancy.

What value does Willinn offer compared to the competition?

Our unique selling point lies in being a multi-carrier data center, which means we work with various providers that provide us with independent Internet access, in addition to our direct connection to the NAP of the Americas. Currently, we have a specific selection of carriers that we can tailor to each client’s needs. As technology advances and the services in demand evolve, we adapt our carrier network accordingly.

How can Zonamerica and Willinn serve as a hub for the industry?

Zonamerica and Willinn complement each other to offer a diverse range of services. For example, in terms of connectivity, in addition to being a multi-carrier provider, we have direct access to the NAP of the Americas. This not only reduces latency but also improves the user experience, especially for software companies targeting the North American market. Direct connectivity to the United States is crucial, without incurring the high costs associated with setting up in a data center in that country or contracting U.S. cloud services.

In addition, Willinn offers a variety of connectivity options, including technologies such as MPLS and SD-WAN. We also provide cybersecurity solutions, protecting against denial-of-service attacks and facilitating traffic analysis. Our services go beyond simple colocation or infrastructure-as-a-service, as we deliver comprehensive solutions that empower our clients. Many companies want to protect their information but lack the necessary infrastructure to address cybersecurity challenges, and this is where we step in. We have our own cloud infrastructure, which allows us to offer services tailored to each client’s needs. Not all startups, fintech companies, and knowledge-based businesses have the resources to invest in their own equipment or data center infrastructure.

For customers seeking more comprehensive solutions, we offer Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and even cloud options specifically designed for software development. In Uruguay, we have three data centers: Data Center I, Data Center II, and Data Center Jacksonville, and we also have the capacity to offer services in Colombia. Additionally, through the NAP of the Americas in the United States, we have access to major public cloud providers, such as AWS, Google, and Azure.

What technical solutions are needed to address the exponential growth of artificial intelligence?

With the rise of artificial intelligence, the demand for available computing power is becoming increasingly significant. Beyond the popularity of tools like ChatGPT, it is important to note that behind this artificial intelligence lies a significant need for computing power and storage capacity. As time goes on, public-facing AI solutions raise concerns for companies that want to take full advantage of these advancements while also protecting the confidentiality of their information.

As a result, companies are investing in technology to deploy large language models (LLMs) on private infrastructure with a high level of security. This ensures that their confidential information remains within their own infrastructure. This approach requires robust infrastructure capable of providing sufficient storage and processing capacity to guarantee service availability. At Willinn, we are planning and designing future data centers with the capacity to meet this emerging demand. This demonstrates our commitment to innovation and technological progress, reflecting the distinctive DNA of Willinn and the Zonamerica Group.