As part of aql's ongoing commitment to Security, we are pleased to announce that aql has gained ISO 27001 accreditation. The ISO 27001 is the internationally recognised standard for Information Security Management Systems, which is obtained following a robust audit of all Information Security policies, procedures and working practices.

Melissa Hendry, Operations Director of aql commented: "Security is and always has been at the heart of aql. We have invested heavily in both our infrastructure and staff over the past year and done so always with security at the forefront. Gaining an ISO 27001 accreditation effectively demonstrates our on-going commitment to information security and we are delighted to receive our accreditation."

To complement ISO 27001, aql will be looking to achieve ISO 9001, the International standard for Quality Management Systems in early 2012.

We've put together a pdf brochure to celebrate the unveiling of our Civic Trust Plaque which occured on Thurs November 17th.. Click here to download.

Over 100 attendees gathered round as the plaque was unveiled by The Worshipful Lord Mayor of Leeds - the Councillor Reverend Alan Taylor.

The attendees included representatives from Leeds Corinthians RUFC whose club was borne from the Leeds Salem Rugby Club.

aql's MD, Dr Adam Beaumont talked about the past uses of the Church and past ministers, including the work of the Reverend Harry Guntrip whose important work in understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) included holding mass counselling sessions in the great hall at Salem. Simon Buckden a PTSD sufferer also spoke about his plight to raise awareness of the disorder by running 100 marathons in 100 weeks.

Photos of the event can be found here

We're often asked about the history of our office building, the Salem Chapel, which is one of the first landmarks as you approach Leeds Bridge and Leeds city centre.

The original chapel dates back to 1791, with schoolrooms being added some 60 years later and an additional 'wing' in 1908. The additional wing was known as 'Charlton House' after the Reverend Norman Charlton. Neil Charlton, the son of Norman was also present at the unveiling and spoke about his memories of Salem.

The full story is a piece of Leeds history - Leeds United football club was formed at the Chapel in 1919.

aql are now a member of the datacentre alliance, a professional association comprising of industry leaders from across the data centre industry. The Datacentre Alliance (DCA) aim to set an industry wide standard in data centre quality and management, as well as promote their “best practice” ethos across the entire UK datacentre industry.

The DCA was formed by a group of industry professionals to clear up confusion around the classification and rating system that was apparent in the industry, this confusion led to many long fruitless journeys to visit a data centre that didn’t live up to expectations. The DCA believe that the design of a data centre should meet the purpose it is intended for, however this is much easier if there is a trusted resource with knowledge, expertise and insight, based on trial and error, innovation and experience. The DCA aim to be this resource.

The DCA code of best practice concentrates on the key factors of running a successful data centre, things such as robust operational procedures to minimise human error (which is the leading cause of data centre failures) as well as to ensure that any member data centre complies with its energy efficiency guidelines which they believe should be incorporated into the very fabric and design of any data centre operational plan.

aql will lead by example, we share many of the same core beliefs, values and principles as the RDC, including the promotion of industry standards, best practice and continued improvement across all aspects of data centre design, build and operation.This partnership will bring together all sectors of our industry and achieve a reliable industry standard that will continue to grow and serve the data centre community as a self-regulating industry in the future.

To Learn more about the DCA click here!

aql HQ, Salem church was the chosen host for the formation of IXLeeds (a neutral, not-for-profit Internet Exchange Point (IXP) based in Leeds).

The organisation was made official at a meeting held at aql (which is also the site of the IXP) on 12th September 2011 when the 12 founding members signed the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association to incorporate the newly formed organisation.

The IXP brings to fruition, many years of work by many organisations, and was born from a group set up in 2008 to promote the collaboration of network operators in Yorkshire.

The organisation is supported by Communications Minister Ed Vaizey who said “I'm delighted to hear of the success of IXLeeds. The project is a prime example of the industry cooperating for the benefit of all parties and it will help put Leeds and Yorkshire on the 'Internet Map'.”

aql MD, Dr Adam Beaumont added “We're excited to support IXLeeds and to play our part in making it happen. It's a success story of co-operation between all the significant regional operators and will bring benefits to both the ISP's and the end users".

aql are one of the founding members and host of IXLeeds, which will streamline web traffic in Yorkshire by allowing data to be sent directly without having to go via London IXP’s. This will result in more efficient internet access and an improved end user experience.

Official IXLeeds site.

Read our Press Release HERE!!