European data giant sets up shop in Cambridge [Video]

A major European cloud-based data centre has opened its doors in Cambridge, bringing with it a $145 million long-term investment.

OVHcloud originates in France. Its centres host and store data for businesses of all sizes using a vertically integrated model.

“We design and we build our own servers, we design and operate our own data centres and we deploy our own fibre network,” explained Estelle Azemard, OVHcloud’s vice president of the Americas.

The Cambridge site marks the company’s second location in Canada. OVHcloud said it will invest $145 million in the new facility over the next eight years, as well as providing jobs for the local economy.

Azemard added that OVHcloud has a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. One key piece to the company’s environmentally-focused approach is an original cooling system for its servers.

“Basically, the water comes down a pipe on the [central processing unit]. It cools …