Smartoptics Group AS

Regulatory Filings • Mar 16, 2023

Hetzner Online upgrades to 400G with Smartoptics open line systems

Hetzner Online upgrades to 400G with Smartoptics open line systems

Oslo, Norway - March 16, 2023 - Smartoptics, a leading provider of optical

networking solutions, today announced that Hetzner Online, a leading data center

operator based in Germany, has chosen Smartoptics to upgrade its core network to

400G. The Smartoptics open line system solution is cost-efficient and easy to

use.

Hetzner Online, with hundreds of thousands of servers in operation, is one of

the largest data center operators in Europe. With data centers in Germany and

Finland as well as two locations in the US, Hetzner Online provides multi

-redundant network connections to important internet exchanges.

To support growth, Hetzner Online sought a cost-effective upgrade path to 400G

for interconnecting its two core sites in Germany. The Smartoptics DCP-M Open

Line System and embedded optics were chosen to run 8 times 400G on each of two

fiber links. Ease of deployment and use were important factors for Hetzner

Online.

"After carefully analyzing the best way to upgrade our core network to 400G, we

concluded that the Smartoptics embedded approach had clear cost and simplicity

advantages. We were also impressed with how fast and easy it was to turn up and

manage the units. This plug-and-play setup, simple operation and vast

flexibility of the Smartoptics open line system give us confidence that the

solution is scalable and future-proof. This is crucial as we continue to grow

and offer even more high-performance and competitive hosting services to our

customers," says Martin Fritzsche, Head of Network, Hetzner Online.

This is a time of energy price turbulence around the world, especially in

Germany. In this environment, optimizing power consumption is important for data

center operators like Hetzner Online to remain competitive. This is well aligned

with the focus of Smartoptics on energy-efficient optical networking solutions.

"At Smartoptics, we work hard to create innovative solutions for multiple types

of network architectures. This means challenging traditional methods, such as

unnecessarily heavy transponders and line systems with unwanted license fee

costs. Sometimes, transponders are not even needed at all. In Hetzner Online's

case, combining embedded optics with our latest energy-efficient open line

systems has the advantage of reducing the overall optical networking footprint

and power consumption. With greater urgency to cut energy costs than ever

before, especially in the heart of Europe, I'm pleased to see that we can make a

difference together with Hetzner Online," says Magnus Grenfeldt, CEO,

Smartoptics.

For more information please contact:

Magnus Grenfeldt

CEO

Smartoptics

+46 73-366 88 77

E-mail: magnus.grenfeldt@smartoptics.com

About Smartoptics

Smartoptics provides innovative optical networking solutions and devices for the

new era of open networking. Our customer base includes thousands of enterprises,

governments, cloud providers, Internet exchanges as well as cable and telecom

operators. We have an open networking approach in everything we do which allows

our customers to break unwanted vendor lock-in, remain flexible and minimize

costs. Our solutions are used in metro and regional network applications that

increasingly rely on data center services and specifications. Smartoptics is a

Scandinavian company founded in 2006. We partner with leading technology and

network solution providers such as Brocade, Cisco and Dell and have a global

reach through more than 100 business partners.

For additional information about Smartoptics, please visit

https://www.smartoptics.com/

About Hetzner Online

Hetzner Online, with hundreds of thousands of servers in operation, is one of

the largest data center operators in Europe. Since its founding in 1997, Hetzner

Online has provided private and business customers with powerful hosting

products and reliable IT infrastructure. By combining its strengths in

innovative technology, attractive prices, expert support, and flexible customer

service, Hetzner Online has expanded its market both within and outside Germany

and Europe. Hetzner Online, a German company, owns and operates its own high

tech data centers in Nuremberg and Falkenstein (both in Germany) and in

Helsinki, Finland, and it recently added new locations in Ashburn, Virginia and

Hillsboro, Oregon (USA).

For additional information about Hetzner Online, please visit

https://www.hetzner.com/