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Datacloud Europe is taking place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco with a special colocated summit, Invest in Africas Data Centres 

The two-day event which kicked off 7 June and is running until 8 June, will welcome the main players in the data centre industry including Orange, Vodafone and Schneider Electric.

In the afternoon session on 7 June a special summit saw a roundtable chaired by Michael Robin OBE, discussing challenges in data centre deployment in Africa. On the panel was Oliver Lambeth, CEO, Cape DC, Lee Smith, director, DS Experienced Datasmiths, Peter Alfred-Adekeye, CEO, CTO, Multiven and Ross Macdonald, principal, highlighting that a rising demand for data comes with its challenges, such as problems with infrastructure, security and energy efficiency across the continent.

Communications Africa spoke to Alastair Waite, Data Centre Solutions Architect Europe and Kam Patel, Global Data Centre Solutions  director, about a high speed migration solution for the continent to meet the surging demand for data. Waite said, 'We have operations in South Africa. Around Johannesburg we have a number of sales offices. We also cover a lot of countries around South Africa and the West of Africa. 'High speed migration will support the growing demand for data in the continent,' said Waite. The high speed migration platform uses modular building blocks to support the growing speeds and densities that new applications and architectures demand.

Patel also noted 'We want to be where our customers are. For example, we see some of the financial sector moving in and we try to support those customers. We have a large distribution network globally and we have some manufacturers in South Africa."

Prior to Datacloud Europe, the annual Datacloud Awards ceremony, hosted by Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan, took place 6 June at Le Sporting, Monaco, recognising excellence in the data centre market. A number of companies (listed below) were shortlisted for the awards.

The winners of the 2017 Datacloud Awards are:

Data Centre Cutting Edge Breakthrough - Nautilus Data Technologies

Excellence in Connectivity for Data Centres Award - Global Cloud Xchange

Best Energy Solution Award – EvoSwitch

Best Use of Cloud in Major Enterprise Award - Equinix Europe

Young Technical Leader of the Year Award - Tim Holm, CBRE Data Centre Solutions

African Data Centre Location Award - Grand Bassam City, Ivory Coast presented by Orange

Data Centre Location Award - Marseille Data Centre Campus, presented by Interxion France

Excellence in Cloud Service Award - Global Cloud Xchange

Data Centre Above And Beyond Award – DigiPlex

Excellence in Data Centre Service Award - VIRTUS Data Centres

Cloud Leadership Award - Xavier Poisson Gouyou Beauchamps, VP, WW Indirect Digital Services HPE

Data Centre Leadership Award - Charles-Antoine Beyney, Founder and CEO, Etix Everywhere

Industry Energy Innovation Award – Munters

SEACOM debuts LEO satellite service, enhancing connectivity in South Africa; industry leaders endorse its potential for digital transformation. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Paratus Group pioneers fastest fiber express route linking Johannesburg to Europe, revolutionising telecommunications with low latency and high-speed connectivity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Empowering girls through innovation in education across Africa. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

(L-R): Dr Diane Karusisi, CEO, Bank of Kigali and Dr Reda Helal, group managing director – processing, Africa and co-head group processing, Network International. (Image source: Network International)

Kagiso Mothibi, MTN SA’s general manager for fintech products and services. (Image source: MTN)

Huawei Cloud pledges US$10mn in credits, aims to support 100 Nigerian startups, fostering innovation & digital transformation. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Microsoft envisions AI empowering Africa's progress, highlighting strategies for governance and partnerships to ensure equitable advancement. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

American Tower and ProFuturo join forces to revolutionise education in Africa, bridging the digital divide and empowering underserved communities. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Orange Digital Center and Coursera join forces to offer free certification courses for new digital professions. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Africa Data Centres & DPA SA pioneer solar farm for sustainable data solutions in South Africa. (Image source: African Data Centres)

MTN leads South Africa's mobile networks with exceptional speeds, while Vodacom excels in 5G. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

MainOne, an Equinix subsidiary, partners with Akwa Ibom state for high-speed connectivity, enhancing Nigeria's digital landscape. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Debbie Beech, country manager: SA and SADC at cybersecurity expert, Exclusive Networks Africa. (Image source: Exclusive Networks Africa)

South African government plans to extend Wi-Fi connectivity to 5.5 million households in rural and township regions over the course of the next three to four years. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

MTN & Airtel create APEP to boost mobile money in Congo. (Image source: Adobe Stock)