Techni Team

Ensuring a Secure ICT Environment and Mitigating All Risks

From the very beginning of Techni Team’s journey in 2007, the decision to partner with BIT for datacenter services has been driven by one key priority: eliminating any potential risks to their IT environment. “We simply can’t afford to take chances with our IT infrastructure,” says co-director Ardin Vlot. While Van Vulpen is the technical expert of the duo, Vlot approaches the business with a strategic mindset.

“Technology evolves at an incredible pace. It might not be the core focus of our clients, but it heavily influences how they operate. Coupled with the growing cybersecurity threats, companies in healthcare and professional services are at higher risk because the data they handle is highly valuable. Our role is to provide these businesses with a secure ICT environment.”

A Professional Partnership

BIT’s ISO27001 and NEN7510 certifications are crucial for Techni Team, yet many datacenters meet these standards. Despite this, Techni Team has never seriously considered switching providers. Van Vulpen explains, “We review BIT’s services at least once a year and assess the competitive landscape. We’ve never felt the need to request quotes from other providers because BIT is simply the best in the Netherlands when it comes to expertise. I’m confident in saying that.”

Commitment to Transparency

Van Vulpen highlights that BIT’s business approach aligns perfectly with Techni Team’s values. “We’re both down-to-earth, no-nonsense companies. I want to understand what BIT is doing on a technical level because we have a chain responsibility to our clients. Even one weak link in BIT’s approach could cause everything to fall apart. That’s why their transparency is so important to us.”

This transparency allows Techni Team to make informed decisions, always following BIT’s advice. This approach has ensured zero downtime since 2009, despite occasional incidents at BIT. “These incidents never affected our environment because we adhered to their setup recommendations. For instance, following guidelines on maximum power consumption per rack and proper cable management behind servers helped us avoid issues even when cooling problems arose. The only outage that ever impacted us was in 2009, caused by a manufacturing defect in new cooling equipment that BIT had purchased. Even then, the impact was minimal, and we were able to promptly inform our clients.”

Ensuring Continuity Across the Entire Chain

To maintain such a strong track record, it’s essential to understand the rationale behind BIT’s infrastructure and recommendations. “I know the details of BIT’s redundancy setups, which allows me to align our measures accordingly. This way, the continuity of the entire chain is safeguarded,” Van Vulpen adds.

Personalized Support Without the Hassle of Tickets

Despite the critical role of the BIT datacenter in Techni Team’s operations, the two companies only need to communicate a few times a year. “But when we do call, they know who we are,” Van Vulpen notes. “They understand our situation and immediately dive into the details. You’re not just logging a ticket that disappears into a black hole—you’re speaking with someone who knows what they’re doing and can help you quickly.” This is exactly the kind of service Techni Team strives to provide its own clients.

New Services, New Business for BIT

From this deep technical knowledge and no-nonsense approach, Techni Team has naturally developed two new services tailored to smaller ICT companies lacking expertise in certain areas. The first is security services. Vlot explains, “Smaller ICT companies often struggle to build up sufficient knowledge and expertise, especially as the landscape constantly changes and threats keep increasing. We have that expertise and are big enough to keep our security specialists well-trained and up-to-date. Studies, including one by ING, show that many small and medium-sized businesses are not well-protected because their ICT partners lack this knowledge. We can fill that gap with the right monitoring applications, like SIEM, and offer SOC services.”

Expanding BIT NL Cloud with Virtual Solutions

The second service is Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting. “Many small businesses would like to move to the public cloud, but their ICT provider doesn’t have the expertise to manage an Azure environment directly with Microsoft, and costs can quickly escalate,” says Vlot. “That’s why we offer managed virtual servers fully tailored to the client’s needs. Small ICT companies can expand their services with cloud offerings, and we provide the customization needed to make those VPS solutions fit perfectly with the end client’s requirements.” Vlot believes this service is a valuable addition to the BIT NL Cloud, allowing BIT to benefit from Techni Team’s expertise in delivering well-configured VPS environments.

Navigating Energy Prices Together

The partnership between Techni Team and BIT is built on trust, which extends to managing the current hot topic in the datacenter industry (as of April 2022): skyrocketing energy prices. “We consume nearly ten megawatt-hours per month,” Vlot says. “If we believed Eneco, we’d be paying five times more for our electricity. But fortunately, we’re with BIT. They’re not trying to profit from the situation; they offer fair prices and help us find ways to reduce energy consumption by further convergence. We genuinely feel supported by BIT.” All the more reason to continue the partnership, Van Vulpen concludes with a smile.

“Personally, I’ve been working with BIT since 1999, over 23 years now. We constantly evaluate our partnership and the market. I see no reason why Techni Team won’t still be working with BIT another 23 years from now.”