In a constantly changing world, we cannot afford to stand still. Data center development is one of our priorities. To make sure we are in the right place and to confirm the quality of service to our clients, we have had our Data Center audited for EN 50600 and ISO 22237 certification.
How can we verify data center quality?
Data Center quality can be determined by compliance with extremely demanding international standards, which are confirmed by certificates issued by certification bodies accredited to the standard. . That is not all, of course. As previously mentioned, the world is dynamically changing and brings us new challenges. That is why we need to constantly develop. When we receive one of the certificates, we are already looking out for the next standards and requirements, the fulfillment of which will further improve our Data Center. Especially since certificates are not awarded once and for all but are subject to periodic recertification.
October is the month of certification
Talex SA has an Integrated Quality and Safety System implemented according to ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, EN 50600 and ISO/IEC 22237 certifications. There are some stringent standards under these names. Compliance with them ensures a mutual benefit for Talex SA and its customers. We gain prestige, satisfaction and confirmation of the efficiency of our work, and our clients can be sure that their data and systems are in a safe place.
October was an extremely important month for us. Indeed, it was then that our months-long work was once again successfully verified. Both Talex Data Center facilities successfully passed the audit conducted by SGS, and, as a result, maintained the EN 50600 certification updated to the latest 2019 version as well as became the first in Poland to obtain the certificate of compliance with the new international standard ISO/IEC 22237.
A lot of effort, hundreds of hours spent on projects, and whole teams responsible for the operation of Talex Data Center. We are not going to pretend that it was not easy since any success is the result of hard work. However, this work was necessary because we are guided by partnership and integrity in business. We want our clients to feel safe, because aside from the complicated names of the certificates – one most important truth remains: it’s always about service quality and data security.
What is behind the EN 50600 and ISO/IEC 22237 certifications?
We know that people who do not deal with data centers on a daily basis know little about such enigmatic names. Let us explain and emphasize how important these certifications are and what we all gain from them.
The EN 50600:2019 certification defines European standards for Data Centers. We are proud to highlight that Talex Data Center received that certificate as the first in Poland in 2018 for both its facilities. In addition, in the highest class in each category:
- Availability : Availability Class 4,
- Protection : Protection Class 4,
- Energy Efficiency : Granularity Level 3.
The recommendations of this standard can be considered a kind of guideline which shows several directions. What is interesting and difficult at the same time, is that here we have to follow each of the paths simultaneously. There are no half-measures during certification. In pursuit of the goal, it is necessary to go through all the stages with honesty and integrity. The EN 50600:2019 certification confirms compliance with design standards in terms of power, telecommunications, cooling and safety. Recommendations, on the other hand, include operational standards in terms of management, energy reduction and sustainable development.
The ISO/IEC 22237:2021 certification confirms compliance with standards with globally recognized standards. Once again, we want to take pride in our pioneering, as our Data Centers in Wroclaw and Poznan are the first facilities in Poland to receive this document. The certificate is issued based on guidelines covering the specification of the data center facility and its interior infrastructure. It is based on standards for data center design, operation, conducting business risk analysis, operational cost issues, physical security, energy efficiency and accessibility.
It should be recalled that the Integrated Quality and Security System of Talex includes ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, EN 50600 and ISO/IEC 22237 certifications. With some more knowledge about them, it is easier to picture the quality of cooperation with Talex SA.
Audit of Talex Data Centers
An audit is a complicated task. It is essential to be very open with the external auditing entity. Thus, trust and mutual respect between the auditor and the auditee are important factors. The situation cannot be different when the construction and infrastructure of DC facilities are analyzed.
Responsibility for the preparations and the audit itself on the part of Talex SA rested on Anna Bąbalicka, Head of the Quality and Information Security Team, and Robert Margas, Director of the Data Center Department. Both groups prepared the facilities and presented them to the auditors. Their extensive experience and profound knowledge helped to demonstrate that our objects meet stringent standards and provide customers with the highest level of service.
Anna Bąbalicka on preparations for the audit:
“Proper preparation for certification requires the involvement of many employees. Daily care for the application of appropriate procedures and meeting the requirements of the EN 50600-1:2019 and ISO/IEC 22237-1:2021 standards by our colleagues working in the Data Center translated into a smooth audit.”
What additional value can a certification audit bring to an organization Why not just meet certain standards and recommendations and not spend so much time on the verification process itself? This is certainly a wrong impression because having an external entity gives a different, fresh perspective. Thereafter, it is easier to see possible errors that may escape us under the pressure of daily duties.
Successful completion of the entire audit process can also be of great importance to our clients. The aforementioned standards are extremely strict, and by having confirmation of their fulfillment with a certificate, we are in a way telling our customers that our Data Center is of the highest quality. Robert Margas, Director of the Data Center Department, explains the reasoning that led to the certification:
“We want our customers to know that we meet the most stringent requirements for both of our Data Centers. This is particularly important because we cooperate with institutions from the financial and telecommunications industries and many other entities for whom business continuity, availability and security of stored resources are particularly important. Our key goal was to demonstrate once again that Talex Data Center provides the highest level of security, business continuity and availability, regardless of whether the client uses colocation or cloud services. The best way to prove this was to obtain a certificate of the new standard for Data Centers – ISO/IEC 22237-1: 2021 and maintain EN 50600 certification and update it to the latest version of EN 50600-1: 2019.”
Why did we choose SGS for certification?
In business we value reliability, credibility, transparency. All of these terms can be put in a bag labelled ‘partnership’ and given to the auditor – a company called SGS. The choice we made was not accidental. SGS has repeatedly proved to us that it deserves to be called an independent and reliable entity. After the entire process, we can say that we made the right choice. It is confirmed by the words of Anna Bąbalicka, Head of our Quality and Information Security Team:
“EN 50600:2019 and ISO/IEC 22237:2021 certifications are very important to us, so we wanted a well-known and reliable company to conduct the audit. Due to our past cooperation with SGS on previous certifications and audits, the choice of auditor was a natural one for us. We chose a company with whom cooperation is based on partnership, and whose guidance allows us to continuously develop our Data Center. SGS is known for its reliability, accuracy and high quality of its services, which, after many joint certification experiences, we can confirm with full responsibility.”
The future begins today
What’s next? There are certainly more challenges to come. We are already looking towards renewing our ISO/IEC 27001 certificate. Following that, there will obviously be further audits and perhaps the implementation of new standards and recommendations, since as we have emphasized, Data Center work is about constant development and chasing the ever-changing world. And we are determinded to get there as close as possible.
Gaining certifications gives the company prestige, of course, but after all, pride and satisfaction are not the only things that matter. In the end, it is the constant improvement of the quality of our services that is most important to us. After successful certification, we know that the facility meets extremely stringent standards and, therefore, guarantees the highest level of service to customers.
If you are interested in Talex Data Center services, please feel free to contact us.
