Big Data/Data Centers

Provence, A Top 5 Data Hub in Europe

The elite cities for data services in Europe have always been known by the acronym “FLAP” for Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris. But now, with the emergence of Marseille as a new leader in data centers and network connections, FLAP is becoming FLA"M”P. Industry leaders such as Interxion, TDF, and Jaguar have invested heavily in infrastructure in Aix-Marseille-Provence, transforming the area into a global hub for the transmission and storage of computer data.

Thanks to this exceptional development of its telecommunications network, Aix-Marseille Provence has now become the top geostrategic location in France outside of Paris for the establishment of high-value-added data centers.
 

This strategic geographic position combined with the increased bandwidth capabilities creates business opportunities for companies located closest to the fiber optic data transmission points as they benefit from reduced wait times over long distances.

Aix-Marseille-Provence’s data centers, with an ever-increasing storage capacity, can easily cope with the huge volumes of information that are the bedrock of the modern economy. These data centers respond to three fast-growing international markets:

• Cloud Computing
• Big Data
• IoT

Key Figures for the Big Data/Data Center Sector in Provence

• 13 submarine communications cables (AAE-1, Atlas Offshore, Hawk, IMEWE, Med Cable Network, SeaMeWe-4, SeaMeWe-5, TE North / TGN-Eurasia / SEACOM / Alexandros, SEACOM / Tata TGN-Eurasia, EIG);
• 2 billion internet users depend on area connection points;
• 69% of the jobs dedicated to telecom networks and data centers are located around Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.

Provence’s Big Data/Data Center Advantage

• An exceptional telecommunications network with nearly 100 000 km of cable infrastructure connecting Aix-Marseille-Provence to Africa, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This is a decisive advantage for reaching emerging markets.

• Globally competitive data center speeds with a data transfer from Marseille to Singapore that only takes 133ms!

• A thriving data protection, security, and data analysis ecosystem with innovative encryption, virtualization, and data management solutions developed on site as part of the area’s digital ecosystem (Aix-Marseille French Tech, the SCS competitiveness cluster, the French National RFID Center, etc.)

• Elite training in computer systems, computer networks, and computer security, with schools such as Epitech in Marseille, which trains certified information technology engineers, and the exia.CESI software engineering school in Aix-en-Provence that offers courses specific to networks and telecoms.

• A pioneering campus to attract talent with thecamp in Aix-en-Provence, a new vision of the digital campus that is currently experimenting with tomorrow’s challenges in Big Data.