Dataweb

Founded in 1994, DataWeb B.V. is one of the longest-established business Internet Service Providers in the Netherlands. The company’s focus is on delivering super-fast connections with the highest standards and guarantees. This proposition has attracted a large number of customers over the years, particularly organisations like banks, schools, hospitals, and logistics operators, for whom downtime is unacceptable.

DataWeb is carrier and data center independent, making it a popular choice for businesses headquartered in the Netherlands that need IP-VPN or MPLS links to one or multiple sites around the world. They connect locations as diverse as the USA, Brazil, China and Africa.

Today, DataWeb manages over 5000 network connections covering 15 countries, with a proven ability to connect to literally any point in the Netherlands and most places worldwide. Satisfied customers include ABN AMRO, Adidas, Nuon Energy, Red Bull, Crocs, Heerema Marine Contractors and VolkerWessels.

Specialist focus

“We have a very simple proposition,” says Michel Elsenbroek, Account Manager at DataWeb. “We are the smallest of the big business connection players, and as such we focus on what we are good at and we try very hard to please our customers. We give personal service, we are fast, and we only do connections, but as a result we are very good at them.”

DataWeb’s relationship with NL-ix also goes back a long way; they were one of NL-ix’s first commercial customers when they ordered their first peering port and transit back in 2005.

“We are specialists with high standards,” says Michel. “So, it tells its own story that NL-ix has been our Interconnection platform for data center interconnections, transit or internet traffic connections for so many years.”

Core partner

Today, after well over a decade of working together, DataWeb has almost 100 contracts with NL-ix. They use NL-ix for their data center to data center interconnections, as well as for uplinks to the internet, via peering or transit. NL-ix has provided dozens of connections between DataWeb customers in remote data centers, backhauling them to the DataWeb hub at Nikhef.

“Over time NL-ix has become an integral part of our core service network,” says Michel. “We don’t just work together on a single customer connection, we develop broader solutions to help more customers at once, deploying multiple NL-ix ports.

“Whenever we are preparing a connection for a quote in a geography that is covered by the NL-ix footprint, we automatically go to them to help us put it together. And they always deliver - I can’t remember having any issues with them in all my years with the company.”

Matching culture

“NL-ix has always been one of our strongest partners, and that is why they have been a preferred supplier for so long,” continues Michel. “Back in the day, we both started as modest technical start-ups. Despite the fact that we have both grown significantly over the years, and we have watched NL-ix expand its network capabilities and service portfolio, it is still the human factors - really good communications, instant replies to emails, swiftness of technical response – that make things work.

“The two businesses have similar cultures and their business styles are a good match – we are both eager to do business, and we both deliver on our promises.”