Teraco Data Environments
{{Short description|Internet infrastructure company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Teraco Data Environments
| trade_name =
| logo = Teraco Data Environments Logo.svg
| logo_alt = Teraco Data Environments Logo
| type = Private
| industry = Internet Infrastructure
| founded = {{Start date and age|2008}}
| founders = {{ubl|Tim Parsonson|Lex van Wyk}}
| hq_location = Isando
| location_city = Johannesburg
| location_country = South Africa
| num_locations = 7 data centre locations across South Africa
| area_served = Sub-Saharan Africa
| parent = {{ubl|Digital Realty|{{smaller|(2022–present, 55%)}}}}
| website = https://www.teraco.co.za
}}
Teraco Data Environments is a carrier-, cloud- and vendor-neutral data centre provider founded by Tim Parsonson and Lex van Wyk in 2008. On 1 August 2022, Digital Realty announced that it had completed the purchase of a majority stake in Teraco, previously controlled by Berkshire Partners, Permira and a group of investors.{{Cite news|url=https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/digital-realty-completes-acquisition-of-teraco-2022-08-02/|title=Digital Realty completes acquisition of Teraco|work=Creamer Media's Engineering News|access-date=2022-12-29|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-realty-completes-acquisition-of-teraco-301596692.html/|title=
Digital Realty Completes Acquisition of Teraco|work=PR Newswire|access-date=2022-12-29|language=en-US}}
Overview
As the local telecommunications market began to deregulate, Teraco's founders recognised an opportunity for a truly vendor-neutral data centre offering in South Africa.{{Cite news |title=Teraco raises $90 million for South African data center expansion |language=en |work=DatacenterDynamics |url=http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/content-tracks/colo-cloud/teraco-raises-90-million-for-south-african-data-center-expansion/97976.fullarticle |access-date=2017-12-26}}{{Cite news |title=Open Access brings in 5 years of expanding Africa’s Internet ecosystem |language=en |url=https://itbrief.co.za/story/open-access-brings-5-years-expanding-africas-internet-ecosystem/ |access-date=2017-12-26}}
Teraco is majority-owned by Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) and a consortium of private equity investors, including Berkshire Partners LLC and Permira.
Data centres
Teraco built Africa's largest data centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.{{Cite news|url=http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/content-tracks/teraco-sets-date-for-launch-of-africas-biggest-commercial-data-center/98741.fullarticle|title=Teraco sets date for launch of Africa’s biggest commercial data center|work=DatacenterDynamics|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/broadband/189976/we-saw-what-south-africas-internet-will-look-like-in-5-years-and-its-incredible/|title=We saw what South Africa’s internet will look like in 5 years – and it’s incredible|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/southern-africa/2016/03/04/africas-largest-data-centre-to-be-in-johannesburg/|title=Africa's largest data centre to be built in Johannesburg - CNBC Africa|date=2016-03-04|work=CNBC Africa|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}} In 2012, the company created NAPAfrica, a fully funded non-profit neutral Internet eXchange Point (IXP).{{Cite news|url=http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161483|title=NAPAfrica celebrates five years as Africa's largest IXP|last=Roanne|work=ITWeb Technology News|access-date=2017-12-26}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148831|title=Netflix arrives in SA via Teraco's NAPAfrica|last=Rawlins|first=Lauren Kate|work=ITWeb Technology News|access-date=2017-12-26}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.htxt.co.za/2014/07/29/in-pictures-inside-africas-biggest-internet-exchange/|title=[IN PICTURES] Inside Africa's biggest internet exchange - htxt.africa|date=2014-07-29|work=htxt.africa|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-GB}} Teraco has additional data centres in Durban and Cape Town.{{Cite news|url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/186177-napafrica-is-doing-over-100gbps-of-traffic.html|title=NAPAfrica is doing over 100Gbps of traffic|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}}
Peering by NAPAfrica
Xneelo, South Africa's web hosting company, partnered with this company.{{Cite web|url=http://www.itwebafrica.com/south-africa/237556-teraco-secures-r12-billion-from-absa-for-further-investments|title=Teraco secures R1.2 bn from Absa for further investment - ITWeb Africa|author=Staff Writer|website=www.itwebafrica.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-12-26}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161067|title=Hetzner peers with NAP Africa for mutual benefit|last=Thakudi|first=Phahamang|work=ITWeb Technology News|access-date=2017-12-26}}{{Cite news|url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/cloud-hosting/196464-hetzner-breaks-1-petabyte-monthly-outbound-traffic.html|title=Hetzner breaks 1 petabyte monthly outbound traffic|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://techcentral.co.za/hetzner-joins-peering-at-napafrica/73173/|title=Hetzner joins peering at NAPAfrica - TechCentral|date=2017-04-13|work=TechCentral|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}} Telkom peered with NAPAfrica through its Openserve wholesale and network division in 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://techcentral.co.za/telkoms-openserve-to-peer-at-napafrica/64983/|title=Telkom's Openserve to peer at NAPAfrica - TechCentral|date=2016-05-04|work=TechCentral|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}} Clients will be able to use the Microsoft service through this company.{{Cite news|url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/it-services/208531/teraco-partners-with-microsoft-for-azure-expressroute/|title=Teraco partners with Microsoft for Azure ExpressRoute|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}} The telecom operator, Angola Cables, peered with this company in 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.biztechafrica.com/article/angola-cables-peer-napafrica-africas-most-connecte/12213/|title=Angola Cables to peer at NAPAfrica – Africa’s most connected Internet Exchange|work=BiztechAfrica|access-date=2017-12-26}}
Accomplishments and funding
After completing an Environmental Impact Assessment, Teraco was granted permission to store 210,000 litres of diesel on site.{{Cite news|url=http://www.biztechafrica.com/article/building-africas-biggest-data-centre/11120/|title=Building Africa’s biggest data centre|work=BiztechAfrica|access-date=2017-12-26}}
2011: The company received R158 million in Series C financing.{{Cite news|url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/business/25207-teraco-data-environments-get-r158-million.html|title=Teraco Data Environments get R158 million|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}}
2013: A R200 million medium-term funding facility was provided from Absa's corporate and investment banking division.{{Cite news|url=https://techcentral.co.za/teraco-absa-in-r200m-funding-deal/40235/|title=Teraco, Absa in R200m funding deal - TechCentral|date=2013-05-13|work=TechCentral|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}}
2014: Teraco is acquired by Permira in first African investment.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/permira-africa-teraco/permira-makes-first-african-investment-in-data-centre-firm-teraco-idUSL6N0TO3R320141204|title=Permira makes first African investment in data centre firm Teraco|date=2014-12-04|work=Reuters|accessdate=2017-12-26}}
2015: The company acquired R400 million in funding.{{Cite news|url=https://www.htxt.co.za/2015/01/27/internet-exchange-point-teraco-granted-r400-million-in-funding/|title=Teraco plans second Johannesburg datacentre, gets R400bn to do it - htxt.africa|date=2015-01-27|work=htxt.africa|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-GB}}
2016: Liquid Telecom invested $3.5 million in a new satellite hub.{{Cite news|url=http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2016/03/15/liquid-telecom-establishes-second-satellite-hub-at-teraco-data-centre-in-south-africa/|title=Liquid Telecom Establishes Second Satellite Hub at Teraco Data Center in South Africa - Via Satellite -|last=Henry|first=Caleb|date=2016-03-15|work=Via Satellite|access-date=2017-12-26|language=en-US}}
2017: Barclays Africa Group funded R1.2 billion ($90 million) for Teraco Data Environments.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/permira-africa-teraco/permira-makes-first-african-investment-in-data-centre-firm-teraco-idUSL6N0TO3R320141204|title=Permira makes first African investment in data centre firm Teraco|date=2014-12-04|work=Reuters|accessdate=2017-12-26}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.capacitymedia.com/Article/3670234/Infrastructure-and-Networks/Teraco-Data-raises-90m-for-African-data-centre-rollout|title=Teraco Data raises $90m for African data centre rollout|website=www.capacitymedia.com|access-date=2017-12-26}}
2022: Digital Realty acquires 55% stake in Teraco Data Environments {{Cite news|url=https://tech.africa/digital-realty-teraco/|title= Digital Realty acquires 55% stake in Teraco Data Centres
|date=2022-01-04|work=TECH dot AFRICA|accessdate=2022-01-04}}