AFRICA reach out to DC operators , like us , so that they can meet more of their client needs in Africa ,” he says . “ That ’ s why we must align what we do with the expectations of these large players .”

EADC is located at Sameer Industrial Park , Nairobi . This is described as the “ perfect hosting location ” due to its access to carrier networks across Kenya , including Mombasa , Uganda , Tanzania and Rwanda .

This location presented EADC with the opportunity to become the most connected data centre site in Eastern Africa , and was recognised for being so with a GTB Innovation Award in 2014 .

“ Connectivity and security are critical components to hosting services . The EADC is carrier-neutral and having that open access model is also critical ,” Kwach says .

EADC hosts all of the local providers and ISPs in Nairobi as well as 20 international networks .

This allows EADC to have the widest possible reach .

“ You cannot build a data centre without networks ,” Kwach says . “ The more network service providers you have , the better it is for customers .”

The mystery of a data centre Kwach comes from a background in network engineering and core network configuration . This brought him into contact with various vendors and OEMs and he gained hands-on experience of critical network failures and problem solving .

Confronted with the challenge to design and build a data centre , the first task for Kwach was to “ identify and demystify ” the very concept of a carrier grade or industry standard data centre .

“ What are the features of a carrier grade data centre facility ? Which are the ideal industry standards and

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