Media Contact
CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

Nov 14, 2019

Certification marks high standard for data centers

BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Nov. 13, 2019 – CenturyLink Colombia S.A., a subsidiary of the global communications and IT provider CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL), received Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility from Uptime Institute for its data center in Bogotá, Colombia. This certification ensures the facility has been constructed as designed and verifies that it can meet the defined availability requirements.

“Receiving Tier III certification from the Uptime Institute confirms that CenturyLink has put the greatest effort into implementing international norms and standards so IT services – a key resource for organizations – is always operational,” said Felipe Gomez Jaramillo, director of data center, security and cloud for CenturyLink in Colombia. “This recognition means the data centers were designed and built to maintain high availability of IT services, even during the execution of planned maintenance or replacement of any distribution component or white area capacity. We have the required coverage, service and the necessary customer care model that guarantees the highest quality, availability, security and support in our services”.

This certification is granted to technology companies for their design and construction of a data center. The certification process validates compliance with the availability requirements demanded by the Uptime Institute. This guarantees the highest quality, safety and reliability for telecommunications operators.

CenturyLink facilities achieved the Tier III construction certification, the highest quality seal issued by the Uptime Institute, which certifies best practices in data center operations worldwide. The company is integrating IT infrastructure needs with the management of value-added services and technological optimization.

Key Facts:

  • The Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility recognition indicates the data center’s operation meets the demands determined by the global parameter system and the requirements of the Uptime Institute for simultaneous maintenance.
  • Data center operators have the ability to isolate components and perform planned maintenance without suspending the data center’s operations or affecting IT operations.
  • CenturyLink regularly measures and improves its data center and security services. An important part of the maintenance process includes updating and renewing the certification of its installations, the foundation for its strict information security policies, for traditional and cloud services.
  • Besides the Uptime Institute’s Tier III, CenturyLink’s data centers in Latin America received several other certifications such as the SAP Hosting, SAP HANA, SAP Cloud and Infrastructure Partner certifications, ISO/IEC 9001, 20000, 27001, 27017 and PCI-DSS, reflecting its commitment to maintain the high level of quality established by international standards and norms for data center management.
  • The CenturyLink Colombia data center is managed by an on-site team of experienced technical specialists and the facility meets the latest specifications for earthquake preparedness, as well as industry guidelines for design of energy and environmental conditioning from Uptime Institute for a Tier III data center.
  • CenturyLink’s global data center footprint has direct connectivity to its more than 450,000 global route-miles of fiber and metro market reach, serving customers around the world.
  • CenturyLink operates more than 350 data centers worldwide, including 18 in Latin America, which host both CenturyLink’s and customers’ IT environments.

About the Uptime Institute and Tier III Certification
The Uptime Institute is an independent international consulting organization, recognized as a reference for market practices on data center critical infrastructure.

In general, a Tier III certification is based on a review of the design documents, and takes into consideration the planned construction and operation of the data center, air conditioning and power infrastructures, in addition to operational procedures and the ability to identify and isolate issues. It demonstrates that the data center is designed to allow maintenance of specific areas without impacting other parts of the infrastructure.

CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

CenturyLink Collaborates with Alphabet’s Loon to Provide Internet Access in Earthquake-Affected Areas in Peru

Jul 15, 2019

High Altitude Balloon Network Delivers Connectivity to Tens of Thousands

LIMA, Peru, July 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Underserved areas in Peru affected by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake were able to access the internet thanks to Loon, a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space designed to extend internet connectivity to people in rural and remote areas worldwide. CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL), in collaboration with Alphabet’s Loon, deployed the solution delivering connectivity to tens of thousands of people cut off by the earthquake.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8524353-centurylink-and-loon-collaborate-to-provide-internet-access-in-peru/

“In 2017, Peru was struck by devastating floods and we saw how important an integrated balloon powered network is to communities struggling to recover from the devastation,” said Luis Ladera, data and internet product director, CenturyLink Peru. “The recent earthquake was widespread. Being able to set up ground stations and connect the balloons to our internet backbone to reach areas with complete outages meant those most affected had the ability to communicate with loved ones and to have access to critical information.”

Forty-eight hours after the earthquake, Loon was able to connect balloons to the internet backbone using their ground stations and CenturyLink solutions to deliver service. CenturyLink holds the experimental E-band license in Peru for Loon’s backhaul services, which are still in a testing phase for commercial use. The 71-76 and 81-86 GHz bands, known as “E-band,” are permitted worldwide for ultra-high capacity point-to-point communications.

Key Facts:

  • On 27 May, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit the Amazon region in Peru. At the request of the government of Peru, Loon balloons were re-directed to the area. 48 hours later, the balloons arrived and began serving the community.
  • Leveraging Alphabet’s Loon balloons and CenturyLink’s backbone, affected areas were provided internet access and data capacity.
  • This is the second time balloon-powered internet has connected tens of thousands of people proving challenges in wireless coverage in areas of disaster can be addressed.
  • CenturyLink’s dedicated internet access provides global reach and scalability over its diversified network, with connectivity in more than 60 countries. Its IP backbone capacity is more than 72 terabits per second (Tbps).

Additional Resources

CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

AMT Selects CenturyLink for Data Center Services in Rio de Janeiro

Jul 8, 2019

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, August 06 2019 – Brazilian company AMT – Agência Moderna Tecnologia, a leader in providing and operating public, private and hybrid cloud services which can be adapted to each customer’s needs, selected CenturyLink to meet its growing demand for cloud services as part of a business expansion with management systems provider Sankhya.

“One of AMT’s most important features is its customer care. Our team is equipped to understand our customers’ IT environment and suggest unique solutions with the purpose of generating the necessary peace of mind so customers can focus on their business,” said Marcio Lacs, founder, AMT.  “To help us consolidate our partnership with Sankhya we looked to CenturyLink because it is one of the few providers with the capability to distribute our services nationally and the certifications to back up the quality of its data center services.”

CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

CenturyLink Expands Rio de Janeiro Data Center

Jun 5, 2019

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, May 06, 2019 – Global communications and IT services provider CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) expanded its data center infrastructure in Rio de Janeiro to accommodate broad regional demand from customers for colocation, hosting, cloud computing, security, collaboration and communications services.

“Companies throughout the world are using cloud technology to innovate faster, improve customer experience and deepen their business processes to accelerate the growth of digital business,” said Gabriel del Campo, vice president of data centers, security and cloud for CenturyLink in Latin America.

In order to configure adequate cloud solutions with optimum access times, it was necessary to bring processing capacity closer to users through this expansion. Overall, CenturyLink counts on 18 data centers in Latin America to provide customers with direct connectivity to its global fiber network.

“Because Rio de Janeiro is one of the country’s largest economies and hosts headquarters and subsidiaries of national and multinational companies, we expanded our data center structure to meet the region’s demands,” added del Campo.

Located in the São Cristovão neighborhood, the Rio de Janeiro data center now possesses a total area of 2,000 sq. meters. The data center offers customers processing environment designed to provide high levels of availability, better quality and higher access speeds to the rest of the world through CenturyLink Cloud Connect solutions.

Key Facts:

  • CenturyLink operates three data centers in Brazil and more than 360 globally.
  • The newly expanded structure in Rio de Janeiro counts on 1.5 MW IT charge capacity, 500 TRS of air conditioning and a total of 300 racks.
  • The company launched a new data center in Quito, Ecuador, and expanded its Santiago, Chile data center, both built through a modular system known as eCentre  and customized to ensure that the building meets all local structural requirements.
  • CenturyLink data centers host both CenturyLink and customer environments, managed by a specialized team of technicians.
  • CenturyLink’s data centers in Latin America received several certifications, such as the Tier III, from the Uptime Institute, SAP Hosting Partner, PCI  DSS, ISO/IEC 27017 and ISO/IEC 27001, and the international certification ISO 20000-1:2011 for compliance with IT Services Management Systems, underscoring the company’s commitment to maintaining the high levels of quality established by international standards for data center management.
  • CenturyLink regularly measures and improves its data center and security services. An important part of its ongoing maintenance process includes updating and renewing the certification of its installations, the foundation for its strict information security policies, for traditional and cloud services.
CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

CenturyLink Receives the ISO 20000 Certification for its Services Provided in Cotia/SP Data Center

Apr 2, 2019

Certification confirms adherence to strictest information technology policies

SÃO PAULO, Feb. 4, 2019 – CenturyLink Comunicações do Brasil Ltda., Brazilian subsidiary of CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL), received the ISO 20000-1: 2011 service management system compliance certificate for the services provided in its data center in Cotia/São Paulo, Brazil.

The certification covers the provision of backup services, colocation, consulting services, database management, dynamic enterprise computing v3, DNS service, hosting, housing, load balancing, Microsoft Active Directory and Exchange management, Microsoft Terminal Services, office space, OnSite assistance and operations, SAP Basis Management, storage and virtual hosting, among others.

“The ISO 20000 is an internationally recognized standard that helps ensure best practices in IT services management,” said Gabriel del Campo, vice president, data center, security and cloud for CenturyLink Latin America. “The certification recognizes CenturyLink’s commitment to provide high quality services aligned to the business needs of our customers, supporting them as an IT service provider so that they can focus on the success of their businesses.”

Examples of ISO 20000-1 requirements implemented

  • Incident Management, which restores the normal operation of the services as soon as possible and minimizing the impacts on the business operation.
  • Problem Management, which analyzes the cause of the incidents that have occurred in the IT infrastructure, looking for workaround or definitive solutions, avoiding their recurrence or minimizing the impact.
  • Change Management, ensures that standardized methods and procedures are adopted in all changes in the IT infrastructure, in order to support the demands of the business without impacting the services.

Key Facts

  • CenturyLink operates three data centers in Brazil and more than 360 worldwide.
  • CenturyLink’s data centers in Latin America have received several certifications, including the Uptime Institute’s TIER III, SAP Hosting Partner, ISO/IEC 9001, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27017, reflecting its commitment to maintain the high level of quality established by international standards for data center management.
  • CenturyLink’s data centers host both CenturyLink’s and customers’ environments with a team of specialized technicians managing the environments.
  • CenturyLink regularly measures and improves its data center and security services. An important part of its ongoing maintenance process includes updating and renewing the certification of its installations, the foundation for its strict information security policies, for traditional and cloud services.
  • CenturyLink´s global data center infrastructure has direct connectivity to its more than 720,000 km of fiber network (450,000 route miles), and serves customers in more than 60 countries.

About the Certification

  • The ISO 20000-1:2011 is a service management system (SMS) standard that specifies requirements for the service provider to plan, establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain and improve an SMS. The requirements include the design, transition, delivery and improvement of services to fulfill agreed service requirements.
  • Valid for a period of three years, the certification was approved after an extensive audit of data center processes and infrastructure, conducted by TÜV Rheinland, a provider of technical, safety and certification services.
  • TÜV Rheinland evaluated various IT service management processes applied to the services and infrastructure of the data center.

Additional Resources

  • Learn more about CenturyLink’s data centers in Latin America:
    http://bit.ly/CTL-Latam-DataCenters
  • Watch the video about CenturyLink data centers in Latin America:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ZE1ejygYY&t=25s
  • Watch videos about the most recently opened CenturyLink data centers in the region:
    Santiago, Chile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AdrIFLsKMk
    Quito, Ecuador: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_bCqlu7ZpQ
    Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTHQIfNZ8y8&t=11s
CenturyLink’s Data Center in Bogotá Receives Tier III Certification From Uptime Institute

CenturyLink Expands its CDN Service Capability to Support Rising Demand in Latin America

Feb 26, 2019

Scalable, in-country CDN services offer one-stop-shop for companies and other institutions seeking to build presence in Latin America and beyond

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Feb. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Triggered by the content demand growth in Latin America, CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) has expanded its content delivery network (CDN) service capabilities in Brazil, Chile and Mexico.

“Throughout Latin America, people are spending more time on the internet enjoying their favorite video content, playing or downloading music and games, reading up on the latest news and making purchases,” said Pablo Yañez, vice president of connectivity, media & IP for CenturyLink in Latin America. “We have a strategic focus around growing our CDN service to address the ever-increasing demand and globalization of online platforms, such as OTT video, gaming and e-commerce.”

In response to the increased demand from entertainment and enterprise customers for fast, reliable and scalable event-based and steady state content delivery, CenturyLink has expanded service capabilities in México and Chile. In addition, the company has added a new point of presence (PoP) in Fortaleza, Brazil, to enhance service performance in the northeast region of the country.

“This current expansion shows our commitment to providing secure, scalable network solutions for customers around the world to grow their businesses and reach audiences worldwide,” added Yañez. “We will continue to extend our reach as it makes sense for our business and our customers.”

Key Facts

  • CenturyLink´s Latin American CDN nodes are located in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza (Brazil), Mexico City (Mexico), Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bogotá (Colombia), Lima (Peru) and Quito (Ecuador).
  • Some of the largest Latin American TV programmers have leveraged CenturyLink’s global CDN to deliver live feeds of large-scale sporting events, such as the 2018 championship soccer tournament in Russia.
  • Digital transformation has meant that more content providers are digitalizing their workflows while expanding their reach to end users independent of the network operator, through OTT platforms. CenturyLink’s CDN is a critical component in enabling these workflows, and can scale to meet demand, helping deliver a world-class viewer experience.
  • CenturyLink’s CDN:
    • Delivered ~42.8 exabytes of data globally in 2018.
    • Answered 74.4 trillion requests globally for content like videos or photos in 2018.
    • Saw global year-over-year peak traffic growth (from 15.75 Tbps in 2017 to 27.98 Tbps in 2018).
    • Provides 40+ Tbps of total edge capacity across 6 continents in more than 100 major cities.
    • Offers 60 petabytes of storage.

Additional Resources

  • View a short video that provides an overview of CenturyLink´s CDN capabilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm_lWvo0RCk
  • Read more about CenturyLink’s CDN:https://www.centurylink.com/business/networking/cdn.html