Case: cloud services alternative for a unique startup

Throughout all its activities, CloudKleyer has actively supported the initiatives of sustainable development and preservation of environment. Our core priority is to implement green technologies and support startups that develop innovative solutions in the field of ecology and renewable energy. Today, when everything around us is changing, green technologies are replacing traditional ways of energy supply. And we are always happy to help emerging businesses that implement similar socially important innovations.

We make sure that the services we provide fully meet the requirements of emerging businesses, protecting their reserved rights and providing optimal cloud solutions. For your startup, this means significant cost savings and the opportunity to benefit from the support of one of the leading cloud providers. Our approach enables startups to choose the right cloud solution that helps them scale up quickly.

Find out more about our offers

Despite the growing popularity of cloud solutions, they are not suitable for all startups. In some cases traditional or hybrid infrastructure option is preferable. Today we will talk about a project for which the server model was chosen for a number of reasons. The startup team has developed a unique device to improve environmental safety at power industry facilities. We helped the emerging business to create a reliable server-based IT infrastructure and have been providing technical support for three years now, contributing to the development of advanced equipment capable of making a real revolution in the electric power industry in the near future. Read more to find out all the details of our collaboration.

CloudKleyer: service provider for emerging businesses

As a service provider and innovation partner for emerging businesses, CloudKleyer is proud to work with startups such as Archigas, the company that develops high-tech equipment for hydrogen engines and systems. Archigas products are focused on various industries that require environmental friendliness and energy efficiency, such as: aviation, automotive and other transportation systems, as well as different research institutes and scientific institutions that focus on green technologies.

The rapid development of eco-projects and the increasing attention to them on the part of business required Archigas to create an affordable IT infrastructure capable of meeting the most stringent requirements for reliability and security. In addition, the IT system should comply with the certification norms that relate to the use of hydrogen-based technologies in Europe.

For such startups, a key aspect is to ensure the stability and security of their IT resources, particularly in view of data protection and privacy requirements. Reducing the cost of IT infrastructure and the flexibility to scale it to new tasks has also become one of the important issues for the company.

About the customer and the product: innovation, safety and ambitious plans for the future

Archigas is a promising startup focused on creating unique solutions for modern energetics. Its main activity is the development of equipment for measuring and analyzing parameters of hydrogen fuel cells (FC) and systems using hydrogen. The company’s products are aimed at improving efficiency and environmental safety of similar systems.

The devices developed by the company are designed to monitor temperature, pressure and other key indicators, which is extremely important for high-tech and environmentally friendly industries, such as energy, aviation and hydrogen-fueled automotive industry. The startup’s customers include top companies and research institutions that apply alternative technologies in their developments for different industries.

Hydrogen monitoring device: unique combination of security and innovation

Archigas’ flagship product is a unique device for analyzing and monitoring hydrogen concentrations in confined spaces. It is a device enabling to significantly increase the safety of power-supply systems and prevent possible emergencies, as well as to use hydrogen fuel more efficiently.

The device continuously monitors hydrogen level and instantly detects critical concentration changes, then transmits robust data to a server for further processing. Users can monitor current levels and accumulate information to predict and prevent potential threats before they lead to negative consequences.

Archigas first introduced its own analytical sensor with high analytics capabilities in 2021. After successful testing, the developer patented the unique innovation and passed the necessary verifications confirming the reliability of the product and its compliance with EU standards. Already in 2023 the serial production of the device began, and now the interest in it on the market is gaining momentum. The product is actively requested by companies, research institutes and laboratories interested in environmentally friendly solutions.

The high assessment of the project’s contribution to the development of new technologies is confirmed by the awards that the company has received. For example, in 2023, it took the prize in Hessen Champions in the category “Innovation”. And in April this year it was awarded the prestigious Hermes Startup Award 2024 at the international exhibition Hannover Messe. This award is given annually to promising emerging businesses for unique technological innovations, and the Archigas team was recognized for developing a moisture-resistant hydrogen sensor.

Certification and standards for the startup

Certification is the basis of trust from customers interested in meeting international safety requirements. Obtaining DIN9001 in February 2023 confirms that the startup meets high criteria in all phases of its work. This standard requires the developer to take a strictly systematic approach to ensuring the quality of products and processes, including regular monitoring, testing and risk management.

GDPR (or DSGVO in Germany) guarantees that Archigas strictly complies with data storage and data protection regulations, as clients often share private confidential information related to their technologies and developments. According to this standard, the company should mandatorily use secure servers and trusted data authentication and encryption methods to minimize the risk of leaks.

In August 2024, the startup also received ATEX certification, which confirms that the equipment complies with strict EU requirements. Regulatory authorities issue these certificates only to those products that have passed tests certifying their safety in potentially explosive environments. According to the EU regulation, the ATEX certificate is mandatory for all devices that are used in areas with a high risk of explosion to ensure the safety of employees.

Specific client requirements

In addition to the above, most of the enterprises with which the client cooperates have their own requirements for data security and compliance with the company’s in-house standards, which must also be taken into account. These requirements may include additional NDAs and special provisions for intellectual property protection. For example, partners in the aviation and automotive industries working on hydrogen solutions need assurance that their technology developments will be protected from breaches and random access.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news promptly.

In the future it is also planned to obtain ISO 27001 certificate ensuring even greater information security. Implementation of ISO 27001 requires the establishment of an information security management system, including regular threat analysis and access management, to meet the strict requirements of big clients.

The importance of certification for such startups is obvious: it not only maintains a high level of protection/security, but also increases the startup’s competitive edge in the market, allowing it to join and effectively collaborate with companies applying hydrogen technologies for transportation and industrial solutions, as well as those involved in fuel transportation and storage. Strict adherence to ISO standards and European regulations gives Archigas customers confidence that their confidential data and all stages of the equipment operations, from development to implementation, comply with international requirements.

However, in order to certify a product and to work with commercial secrets, developer must ensure established standards of digital data protection and reliability of IT system, which, in turn, imposes strict requirements on the choice of a data center that provides the necessary level of security and availability.

Startup requirements for creating IT infrastructure

For a startup like Archigas, the process of building reliable, high-performance and cost-effective IT system is of key importance. Operating in a high-tech field where accurate metrics and information security play a crucial role and privacy breaches lead to serious consequences, Archigas faced many complex challenges. First of all, its was necessary to rapidly find and implement solutions that provide the necessary security measures, reliability and minimal operating costs, and also meet the requirements for obtaining certifications.

Criteria for choosing a service provider

When choosing a service provider to host its own IT system, the client kept its focus on several factors. The key ones were the following:

1. Location. The company’s production and offices are located in Germany, 20 km away from Frankfurt, so Archigas needed the data center to be close by.
2. Reliability. Fault tolerance of services, redundancy, ensuring uninterrupted functioning of the IT system.
3. Certification. Data protection and full compliance with the requirements of regulatory authorities that ensures compliance with international security standards, especially when dealing with ecologically destructive and sensitive digital data.
4. Availability and flexibility of IT solutions. This enables a startup to scale up rapidly and efficiently adapt to changing conditions as the business grows and new developments/products emerge.

• The price within an affordable range. It is important for startups to optimize the spending of their funds while ensuring high reliability of their IT system. As a rule, new businesses cannot afford expensive solutions.
• Providing a range of services including colocation servers, hosting, large storage capacity, a set of IP addresses, and online customer support.
• Building and maintaining IT infrastructure. Given that the startup is working closely with research institutes and major partners in the field of hydrogen energy, it was crucial to choose a service provider that could offer not only technically perfect solutions, but also long-term support within the framework of the services provided.

In addition, there were certain requirements resulting from the use of an ERP system, the office management software MeinBüro. The ERP system is a critical part of the Archigas infrastructure, as it helps to organize the production cycle, including features such as order management, logistics and customer service. For the ERP system to work properly, high-performance servers with guaranteed access to data at any time were required. It was also necessary to protect information, which included commercial secrets, product patents and the results of innovative developments.

Why Archigas startup chose CloudKleyer’s colocation services

While looking for a suitable service provider, the Archigas team carefully analyzed all available options. Among other things, virtual servers on cloud platforms like AWS were considered. However, despite the popularity of the Amazon Web Services platform, this solution did not meet the company’s goals. AWS could offer a limited set of services focused on virtual machines without full support for ERP system deployments. Using AWS also required significant effort and time for customization, which would divert developer’s resources away from the main tasks.

After considering different options for cloud and server solutions, Archigas finally decided to collaborate with CloudKleyer, as our company meets all criteria and specific requirements.

CloudKleyer’s data center is located in Frankfurt, one of the largest technology and financial centers in Europe. The data center offers a high level of IT infrastructure protection and significant network bandwidth for fast and secure access to critical information.

For Archigas, which works with clients all over the world, the relocation of IT services in such a strategic place, as well as the availability and security of the data center, was an important advantage in choosing CloudKleyer as the major partner.

In addition, CloudKleyer was able to provide a cost-effective option for startup collaboration, which was a decisive factor in choosing a service provider.

Server solutions from CloudKleyer: control and flexibility for a startup

Our firm offered a solution that allowed the client to deploy ERP-system on physical servers with an increased level of protection and fault tolerance. CloudKleyer’s technical experts helped to navigate and select hardware suitable for the developer’s current needs, and then installed it in the data center. In addition to colocation, we provided Internet connection and the necessary number of IP addresses.

The servers were installed in a secure Tier III data center, where the customer’s team could independently manage hardware settings, IP addresses allocation and access organization.

Such approach provides a complete control over all aspects of IT system configuration. Archigas experts can configure servers to ensure optimal performance, security, and compliance with certification requirements. By managing each detail of the settings, they adapt the infrastructure to the unique needs associated with the secure storage of analytical data and work with specialized hydrogen equipment that requires an increased level of protection.

Special terms for the startup

CloudKleyer also provided very favorable terms, which allowed Archigas to minimize costs during the project launch. The CloudKleyer team not only offered flexible pricing, but also supported the project, taking into account its environmental focus and importance for the market.

 “For startups, financing plays a very important role. New companies always have difficulties in attracting loans and investments. And their own funds are usually insufficient even for operating expenses, not to mention development costs. Before choosing a service provider, we studied the market and considered at least three options, including AWS cloud. However, the best terms and conditions were offered by CloudKleyer. The provider went our way and lowered the prices for its services so low that in the first two years we were able to grow and develop in peace. CloudKleyer helped us to cope with complex challenges during our early years. As the three-year experience of the partnership has shown, we made the right choice” – Vladimir Barsky, Managing Director and co-founder of Archigas.

Thus, choosing a server solution from CloudKleyer was the best option: it gives full control, maintains flexibility and reduces maintenance costs, which is a significant benefit for a startup under limited budget and high security requirements.

Continued collaboration

Our collaboration has been going on for more than three years already, and during this time the credit of trust issued at the beginning has grown into a long-term partnership based on shared goals and interests.

Today, Archigas devices are in demand in different areas of the world. Similar companies with expertise and the ability to implement environmentally friendly solutions achieve success by becoming top leaders in their respective industries. The device and the company itself have great potential. Therefore, in the future Archigas plans to expand its collaboration with CloudKleyer, which will allow it to create an even more integrated solution for security and data management in the field of hydrogen technologies. For instance, it is planned to offer integrated products that include a monitoring and data processing system, as well as specialized software up to industry oriented web applications. It is possible that artificial intelligence and machine learning will be used for these purposes.

During the time of our collaboration, the company’s IT resources have grown significantly. Having started with just one server, now they occupy ¼ of the server rack. Accordingly, there has been an expansion in terms of Internet volume and IP addresses, as the number of employees has also increased. As the business grows, resources will scale. We will continue to help Archigas to build and expand the infrastructure.

CloudKleyer: customized solution for your startup

Our custom offers are tailored to the needs of our clients, helping young companies that are actively moving forward to maximize the benefits from the collaboration.

About the data center

CloudKleyer data center complies with the Tier III standard, which ensures a high level of reliability and security for IT infrastructure of its clients. Tier III standard assumes fault-tolerant architecture with redundant power and network infrastructure links, which minimizes the risk of downtime and increases uptime. This allows startups to handle and securely store sensitive data at the first stage of their operations, while maintaining business continuity and compliance with high security standards.

Benefits of partnering with CloudKleyer

1. Improved flexibility and performance. Implementing cloud and server solutions at our data center enables startups to optimize processes within the company. Previously labor-intensive procedures such as deployment and server scaling become automated, allowing the startup team to focus on product development and implementing the next innovation rather than focusing on maintaining its hardware.
2.  Cost savings and cost management. Startups often need the most cost-effective solutions possible. And we provide such opportunities. For example, switching to cloud hosting and colocation allows startups to reduce capital expenditures on server procurement and maintenance. The pay-as-you-go model for cloud services helps to flexibly manage the costs by paying only for the resources that are used. We offer flexible pricing allowing startups to invest freed up funds (saved funds) into further business development and simplifies the planning process. In addition, outsourcing to a service provider makes it possible to minimize the cost of maintaining a large IT department.
3. Improved security. Leveraging cloud providers services with a high level of data protection has significantly increased client confidence and ensured compliance with international security standards. In the highly competitive financial technologies market this was an important factor in attracting new clients.
4. Reliability and minimal downtime. Many startups, as well as existing companies, trust our solutions due to our high level of fault tolerance and 24/7 technical support.
5. Scalability of businesses. The introduction of cloud services provides a startup the option to scale its growing business without worrying about technical limitations. The IT infrastructure can grow along with the company’s business, allowing you to enter new markets and launch new products in the shortest possible time. The ability to scale a business is very important for many startups, and CloudKleyer strives to create favorable conditions for this.

Colocation for startups is the first step in building a reliable IT infrastructure.

Our company provides colocation, physical space for data storage, cloud services, hosting and other services for startups. We also provide easy migration from one data center to another and remote hands  service. Some of the maintenance work is done free of charge.

Collaboration with CloudKleyer is beneficial for new companies that are just starting their way in business, because starting from the very beginning they have access to powerful cloud computing solutions and the help of experienced technical experts. This allows startups to not only grow confidently at the start, but also to easily scale up as their business grows and their IT needs increase.

Choose CloudKleyer to get just the right cloud or server solutions for your startup. Embark on the journey to success today!

Schedule a time for a consultation