The Launch of the Morocco Data Center in 2017
Cloud Computing Data Center in Témara, Morocco
The first Cloud Computing platform on a 100% Moroccan site was inaugurated in Témara on 19 September by the Secretary of State for Investment Othman El Ferdaous, who has multiplied the eye-openers towards ECOWAS countries. This is the first Cloud Computing platform but not the first data center in Morocco.
The Morocco DataCenter resembles a life-size lego game and extends over 2000 m2 in the outskirts of Rabat. It is built by the Medasys Group (Medafrica System, a Moroccan group created in 1995 specializing in high value-added IT). At the request of the General Directorate of Security and Information Systems (DGSSI), its first ambition is to guarantee the digital sovereignty of the Kingdom. Therefore, the important and sensitive data held by the administration remain located on the national territory. A digital security issue, but not only one of digital security.
First stone to an African digital hub
From the very first moments of his speech, Othman El Ferdaous instigated an African dimension to the Morocco Data Center project:”Among the 70 engineers, all are Moroccans but there is also a Chadian, which augurs well for the strategic depth of this data center in relation to West Africa,” he said. If the references to ECOWAS were not clear enough, the Secretary of State for Investment does not go there by four ways:”ECOWAS, which Morocco will integrate, is 750 million inhabitants in 30 years”. And so many development prospects for El Ferdaous who says that he wants to “challenge the status quo and make Morocco a “digital hub” for West Africa and animate the entrepreneurial ecosystem”.
Medasys has already embarked on this movement and has entered into a partnership with the UK-based Zircom group, a leading manufacturer and operator of data centers in the UK. The objective is to create a joint venture for the creation of a “Morocco International Gateway Datacenter”, which will address both the Moroccan and African markets. This mega data center will be five times the size of Morocco Datacenter, for an investment of 800 million dirhams, financed by European funds. “The studies will be launched from November 2017 onwards for a planned commissioning at the end of 2018 / beginning of 2019”, confides Mohammed Benmira, administrator of the Morocco Datacenter and Managing Director of Medasys, to Telquel. ma.
Reach 25,000 TPMEs and 30 administrations and large companies within 2 years
“We want to say to the public, private companies, small and medium-sized companies: focus on your core business, we’ll take care of IT,”says Mohammed Benmira. With an initial budget of 85 million dirhams, the project could reach 370 million dirhams after its development phase. Asked by Telquel. ma about the target in terms of customers, the general manager explains his ambition to reach “20,000 to 25,000 small and medium-sized enterprises and 30 large structures, both in the public administration and in private structures within 2 years “. For the time being, contracts have been concluded with Portnet (platform for the dematerialization of documentary flows relating to foreign trade) and Morocco PME, which is also a partner in the Imtiaz project.
Energy bills of MAD100,000 to MAD450,000 per month
While Othman El Ferdaous risks speaking of an “immaterial infrastructure”, it is nonetheless very tangible, with a significant cost in electricity. “From 100,000 to 450,000 dirhams per month”, confides Abdelilah Sbai, administrator of the data center. With “third party 3” technology, which allows the system to continue to operate even in the event of a unit failure, the data center is designed to run for 36 hours without electricity.
With regard to the environmental impact, managers proudly state that they “have no environmental footprint”, due to the absence of a hot air release system, avoided by cooling cabinets. However, the impressive consumption of electricity cannot be without environmental consequences, even if these are indirect.
As seen on: telquel.ma