NETHERLANDS - APG Group, the asset management arm of the ABP pension fund, has signed a 10-year deal to have Cofely Netherlands look after its IT as the running of its new data centre in Masstricht has a strong environmental and social governance focus.
A statement issued by the investment and pensions administration group said it has split its technology needs across three locations as the site currently in use no longer meets its requirements and it therefore needed a new location for its IT operations.
The deal is worth €20m to Cofely, which will host the data service largely from a new facility at Maastricht Airport, and where the operation is powered with sustainable energy in mind.
APG said the contract comes with guarantees of "availability and flexibility" through innovative techniques and solutions as well as cost controls.
Perhaps more importantly, the project is powered through renewable energy, which also fits APG's focus on corporate and social responsibility, said Theo Peereboom, director of corporate information systems at APG.
"IT is the core of a successful pensions implementation, and is a complex and service-oriented task where data must be quickly and accurately processed. In all of our tasks CSR is highly valued," said Peereboom.
Hans Boot, managing director Cofely South, further explained: "APG has stringent requirements in terms of availability, flexibility, energy and costs. Sustainable energy and cooling are the most critical success factors. All services provided by Cofely will be energy-efficient and use 100% green energy, to limit any potential environmental impact.
"Each kWh comes from environmentally-friendly sources such as wind, biomass or hydroelectric," he added.
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