Global Crossing (News - Alert) has announced the opening of its Amsterdam data center, which will provide virtual hosting solutions as well as hosted managed services.

Specific services include monitoring, backup, security, server management and storage solutions. Last year the company opened the Docklands data center in London.

Ted Higase, managing director, EMEA said, "The opening of the Amsterdam data center means we now have 17 data centers strategically located to provide services to more than 700 customers at a time when information has never been more critical to the survival of a business.  The explosive growth of data-intensive applications and an increasing reliance on information as a competitive differentiator have made data storage a central component of corporate strategies.”

According to Gartner (News - Alert), the global market for Web hosting, including data center services, is projected to increase in size from $28.87 billion in 2008 to $51.45 billion in 2013.

Several of Global Crossing's data centers around the globe have received a Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS (News - Alert)) 70 review, which is an auditing standard that evaluates the design and operating effectiveness of controls that have specific objectives, such as the security of financial information.

This audit, which Global Crossing is planning for its European data center facilities, is particularly important to large businesses and is being increasingly accepted by government organizations and private companies that seek an independent opinion to confirm the effectiveness of a provider's processes and internal controls structure.  It also simplifies their auditing processes and potentially can save time and reduce costs.

Global Crossing's data center footprint currently offers collocation facilities in 60 major cities around the world, and 17 data centers, principally in Latin America with new additions in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe.