Interxion, Microsoft, KPN International, and NL-Ix, HP Launch Hosting Test Environment for Service Providers

Interxion (News - Alert) holding, a leading European provider of carrier-neutral colocation data centre services, partnered with Microsoft, KPN International, NL-ix and HP to launch Cloud Testlab, a turnkey cloud hosting test environment for service providers.

In a press release, Interxion said that the CloudTestlab combines industry-leading software, systems, connectivity and colocation capabilities. The initiative is aimed at enabling hosting providers to quickly develop best-in-class cloud services and virtualized environments for their customers. The cloud test lab will ease up the transition to cloud for the customers of the hosting services.

Built on a single, shared-service environment for servers, storage and network powered by HP Converged Infrastructure, the platform is based out of one of Interxion's 13 Cloud Hub data centers, which provide high levels of security and availability, and in-house access to a wide range of service providers, systems integrators and connectivity providers. Users of the test platform can either connect directly in the data center or access the solution via an Internet connection provided by NL-ix, one of the world’s largest Internet exchanges. KPN’s (News - Alert) international IP network ensures that service providers from across Europe can connect to the Cloud Testlab.

“Leveraging the Cloud Testlab enables private cloud solutions to be deployed in close proximity to business and residential users across Europe, delivering an exceptional end-user experience,” Interxion CMO Kevin Dean (News - Alert) noted in a statement.

According to Interxion , the first platform deployed in the Cloud Testlab is the Microsoft Dynamic Data Center (DDC) Toolkit for Hosters, which is built on Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center. The toolkit enables hosting providers to establish service level agreements (SLAs) and create portals that customers can use to directly provision, manage, and monitor their infrastructure, the sources at Interxion explained.

Microsoft DDC is secure, scalable and easy to set up. Interxion explained that allows hosting providers to address the growing demand for dynamic cloud infrastructure delivered on state-of-the-art server architecture in high-availability data centers. The toolkit will enable the service providers to extend their portfolios with high-value, high-margin services, such as managed hosting, on-demand virtualized servers, clustering, and network services.

Hosting service providers throughout Europe are encouraged to avail the offer of free setup and testing of Microsoft’s Cloud solution for a limited period.

Interxion recently completed the upgrade and expansion of its DUS1 data center.

Company officials clarified in a press release that the expansion and upgrade of the facility is in response to consistently rising demand from customers in the digital media, carrier and enterprise sectors.