by cPanel3Admin | Nov 1, 2024 | News
DataHive is recognized as a leader in creating innovative approaches to secure data storage and network independent security technologies
By David Parker Calgary Herald
Published Oct 21, 2024
Marjorie Zingle, CEO of DataHive, has opened a second data centre on a whole floor of the Nexen tower. Photo by Courtesy, DataHive Postmedia Network
At age 81, Marjorie Zingle received one of the inaugural awards as a Top 7 Over 70 winner, for her work as founder and CEO of DataHive. Seeing age as no barrier, the classy entrepreneur, who is now an energetic and savvy 89, has launched her second data centre.
A child of the Depression, Zingle left home at 16 before finishing school, but says she has not stopped learning ever since. Many young women of the time were told they would never get anywhere in life, but that led her to work hard and prove them wrong, and she has never slowed down.
After selling three successful companies, Zingle was itching to get involved in something new. Fascinated by the tech space, on hearing of a failing data centre she purchased it and a small web hosting business, secured Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and began hosting client websites.
DataHive was launched 21 years ago at 840 – 7th Ave. S.W. It wasn’t easy.
Zingle set about installing new wiring and cabling, a powerful air-conditioning system and a dedicated backup generator, while contacting the company’s few paying clients to assure them of her passion to turn the firm around.
The result is DataHive — now recognized as a leader in creating innovative approaches to secure data storage and network independent security technologies. It provides the most efficient and cost-effective way to unravel and manage IT solutions, and has become the Western Canada hub providing direct access to more than 30 ISPs, resulting in 6,000 points-of-presence. Zingle’s clients receive global connectivity, exceptional speed, performance security and scalability.
This all came about through her first data centre, DH1, and its success meant the need for space to increase the number of data cabinets. So, still armed with her aggressive entrepreneurial spirit, Zingle has opened DH2. She says today’s CEOs are challenged to successfully maintain control over the internet evolution. They must also demonstrate to boards, investors and stakeholders how their strategies address the opportunities and issues inherent with new technology.
DataHive supports the underlying, often unseen infrastructure and technology powering these and other issues. And it has now added premium space across the street from DH1 — not only a place to store data, but a fortress of security, a resource of experts and expertise, and guaranteed long-term stability.
Zingle has leased the whole of the fourth floor of the Nexen Building, at 801 – 7th Ave. S.W., across from the DH1 building. DH2 is using 9,000 square feet of the 20,000 square feet — all with raised flooring — to house its new data centre of all-white cabinets and flooring, and has exciting plans for the rest of the space. Much of it will be an educational component to help clients stay ahead of the curve and adopt a nuanced approach to challenges such as AI, cybersecurity and legal issues through regulatory and insurance demands.
Tomas Florian, solutions architect at DataHive, says it will conduct educational seminars on the need to be proactive in cybersecurity, find leaks in software before hackers do, and report on vulnerability.
Forensic protection is a must. He says AI is still a baby that needs more control, but sending data that includes AI needs a huge amount of power, and DataHive can handle co-location support for any kind of computing. Clients and future clients will be taught how to establish guardrails to shield from the legalities of misuse.
Zingle still finds hers an exciting and ever-changing business where she and her dedicated staff must focus on exceeding expectations, always looking ahead to see what demands will bring.
by cPanel3Admin | Dec 6, 2023 | News
December 4, 2023
By Hailey Eisen
In the dynamic realm of technology, Marjorie Zingle stands out not just for her achievements, but also for her remarkable journey. At 88-years-old, she helms a flourishing data centre in Calgary, a testament to her enduring spirit and acumen in an industry often associated with the young.
“I came into this business at 69, around the time I was thinking of retiring,” she says. “And, I have not since been able to find another woman in the world who owns a data centre.” There are certainly challenges associated with being a woman in the tech industry, not to mention being a senior – but challenges have only ever inspired Marjorie.
“I grew up during the Great Depression and left home at 16,” she recalls. “But I was born with an entrepreneurial spark, and that spark was lit when I was five-year- old and had my first lemonade stand.” Though she left home before finishing school, Marjorie says she has been learning ever since. “When I was quite young, I was told I would never get anywhere in life, and sadly that’s what was told to a lot of young ladies at the time,” she recalls.
If anything, this was just the push Marjorie needed to work harder and prove them all wrong.
She’s full of energy and not considering slowing down. A few years ago, she received one of the inaugural Top 7 Over 70 awards in Calgary. She has plans in the works to expand her company, DataHive, into the cybersecurity space. And, she has a wealth of advice and wisdom that she’s more than willing to share with mentees, university students, and anyone who takes the time to listen. She’s always working to break down stereotypes around sexism and ageism, and it seems she’s doing a very good job of it.
In her early career, Marjorie lived in Montréal and spent a decade working in sales for the pulp and paper industry. “As you might imagine, I dealt only with men for years, and many happened to be extremely chauvinistic. I learned how to survive while building that company dramatically.”
She then moved west with her husband, who was an accountant, and landed in Calgary. “I couldn’t find a job that I was interested in, so my husband suggested I try selling real estate,” she recalls. A year into that career, she was second on the list of most successful realtors in Calgary. When a job came up in the travel industry, she decided to try her hat at something new. As the Executive Director of the Travel Industry Association of Alberta, Marjorie spent eight years travelling the province and meeting with all levels of government.
Being an entrepreneur and always dreaming up new ideas, Marjorie says the wheels started spinning again, and she began to think about association management. “I realized that many associations don’t have management expertise, and I decided to create something to solve that problem.” She quit her job and set out with a small office space and no clients to her name. It didn’t take long before her business began to thrive. “I ended up buying the building we worked out of and provided services to 17 different associations.” From there, she launched a second company that focused on conferences and meeting planning.
After selling both of these companies, Marjorie began to think about retirement. She was in her 60s and had, for all intents and purposes, a very successful career. But, some people just don’t like to slow down. “It’s in my personality and my psyche,” Marjorie says. “I’m a builder. I’m always dreaming up ideas for new business.”
So, when she discovered that the centre where she had one data server was being poorly run and not looked after properly, she became curious. It was primarily a web hosting business at the time, being run by the son of Iraq’s leader of the opposition. “He wasn’t taking care of it and when I approached them to learn more, the company wasn’t productive, the space was filthy, and the electricity was in the process of being cut off.”
And that is how Marjorie found herself launching a career in the tech space rather than embarking on retirement. “I contacted the owner, purchased what was left of the data centre, and started from scratch.”
Today, DataHive is a leader in creating innovative approaches to secure data storage and network and endpoint security technologies. It has attracted some of the world’s highest rated Internet companies as service providers and has many Fortune 500 companies as clients.
Though she didn’t have technology expertise or knowledge when she started out, Marjorie says she did know how to enlist the help of the right people. “A good entrepreneur must pick her advisors wisely. She must know how to identify really good people who can do what you can’t.”
She credits her small but mighty team with DataHive’s success. “Today I have nine people who work for me and the place runs like a charm.” To her, success is not being really good at everything, but being really good at asking for help.
Her relationship with TD Bank, one of her greatest champions, goes back to 1971 when she arrived in Calgary. “I’ve been a TD client ever since, and all of my companies have been successful with the support of the bank,” she says. “That being said, I have never gone into debt. Being a child of the Depression, you’re taught not to do that, and it’s influenced my professional career.” She believes this philosophy has prevented her from ever having to declare bankruptcy. She’s been committed to never spending more than she has. “I always know I can call up my TD advisor for advice, and currently I’m looking at expanding DataHive and considering a line of credit, so I don’t have to shuffle my accounts too much,” Marjorie says. “I still go into the bank to make deposits; they know me by name.”
While she’s been working her whole life, Marjorie says she didn’t really have much interest in money for most of her career. Because her husband was an accountant, and her accountant, she left the finances up to him. “When he developed Alzheimer’s and passed away … I had a lot to learn. It was hard. I had to learn how to consolidate my accounts and, to be honest, at times I felt like an idiot. I had always been looked after, but now I had to do that for myself.” She says it took some time to find the right accountant to take over for her husband, but now she meets with them every second week to ensure she’s on top of things.
“As an entrepreneur, the learning never stops and the only way to be successful is to really believe in yourself,” she says. “You certainly don’t have to be male to deal with male egos. There are ways to be successful and maintain your integrity. As I always say, I have no competitors, I’m not competitive. We provide an amazing service, and we’ve grown by word of mouth. We provide wonderful service and so our clients stay with us forever.”
by cPanel3Admin | Mar 6, 2023 | News
Since inception, DataHive’s core mission has been to empower its clients with up-to-date technology solutions designed for client-specific applications. Now at the dawn of its twentieth anniversary, DataHive is even more poised to deliver extraordinary value to its diverse and expanding customer base.
In commemoration of this significant milestone, DataHive was profiled in the March 2023 issue of Business in Calgary Magazine – Calgary’s premier business publication.
Providing security, confidentiality and reliability to the Internet’s most demanding users is no small feat. Nonetheless, DataHive continues to fortify its secure private cloud infrastructure, incorporating the highest-level Internet security into every application. By so doing, business decision makers gravitate to DataHive for persistently secure IT solutions built on a relationship of trust.
To learn more about DataHive’s growth trajectory, values and people, we welcome you to read the full article here.
by cPanel3Admin | Feb 6, 2023 | News
DataHive CEO in the spotlight for unrelenting focus on data security.
DataHive CEO Marjorie Zingle, has been acknowledged for her pioneering work in building sustainable technology businesses in Calgary.
The spotlight articles which appeared in the Calgary Herald (online and printed) and The Sun are in recognition of Marjorie’s significant contributions to making the internet not only accessible but secure.
With innovative tech experience spanning two decades, DataHive remains firmly committed to empowering clients with creative technology solutions delivered through the most secure infrastructure.
Amidst increasing data migrations to the public cloud, the risk of data breach continues to escalate. DataHiveSecure was established to provide in-depth cybersecurity services to curb prevalent threats. By placing emphasis on proactive security, DataHiveSecure safeguards the confidentiality, integrity and availability of clients’ sensitive data.
Read this inspirational piece to learn how DataHive continues to succeed in today’s changing technology environment.
by cPanel3Admin | Jan 15, 2020 | News
Calgary enterprises have the freedom to combine eStruxture’s space capacity and power density with DataHive’s carrier density to build reliable, cost-efficient IT infrastructure
CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 15, 2020 /CNW/ — eStruxture, the largest Canadian-owned provider of network and cloud-neutral data center solutions, and DataHive, Calgary’s downtown carrier hub, announce today that they have partnered in order to bring superior data center and interconnectivity services to the Calgary market.
In today’s data-driven economy, customers require the flexibility to design customized IT infrastructure for their businesses in a fast and simple way without incurring high capital expenditures. The eStruxture – DataHive partnership responds to this need by offering Calgary businesses enhanced, state-of-the-art, carrier-neutral data center services. Now, eStruxture customers can access all the carriers in DataHive’s downtown carrier hotel. Conversely, DataHive customers can leverage the significant space and power provided by eStruxture’s large-scale CAL-1 facility. All this gives Calgary enterprises the power to create and optimize the custom colocation and connectivity solutions they need to drive growth.
The benefits of this service include:
- Significant cost-savings
- Superior reliability driven by fully redundant systems
- Flexibility to scale up or down and swap providers as business needs change
“When we expanded our services in Calgary, we committed to helping our customers grow and enlarge their businesses by offering them more options in terms of fully configurable colocation space, high-power density of over 30 kilowatts per cabinet and carrier diversity,” says Todd Coleman, President and CEO of eStruxture Data Centers. “Thanks to the partnership with DataHive, we are delivering on that promise by ensuring that our customers have direct, secure access to an ever-growing number of network and service providers.”
“Carrier neutrality and scalability are vital for today’s digital enterprises. By partnering with eStruxture, we are creating a global connectivity hub for Western Canada and making Calgary a truly internationally connected city,” explains Marjorie Zingle, CEO of DataHive.
eStruxture and DataHive are pleased to offer their customers a significant competitive advantage through a complete suite of scalable IT infrastructure solutions that support the most demanding, mission-critical applications and workloads, lower data transfer costs, and improve internet connectivity for all businesses throughout Alberta.
About eStruxture:
eStruxture provides network and cloud-neutral data center solutions designed with the capacity, performance and flexibility to run modern, demanding enterprise applications, and the control to rapidly scale in response to unpredictable changes in business processes. Headquartered in Montréal, the company provides access to an ecosystem of over 900 customers that trust and depend on eStruxture’s mission critical infrastructure and customer-centric support, including carriers, cloud providers, media, content, financial services and enterprise customers. eStruxture offers colocation, private cloud, managed services, bandwidth, and security and support services to customers of all sizes.
For more information, visit www.estruxture.com. Follow us on Twitter @estruxture and LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/estruxture/.
Media Contact:
Angela Adam
+1-888-369-2209
pr@estruxture.com
About DataHive
DataHive is a privately owned Canadian company located in Calgary, Alberta. As a world-class infrastructure, engineered in every aspect, DataHive accommodates the high-availability demands of the Internet’s global business requirements. The data centre is an ISP Hotel hosting top global Internet Service Providers. Partnering with eStruxture, the network has been optimized to provide security, reliability, performance and scalability.
Media Contact:
Toni Guffei
+1-877-328-2448
toni.guffei@datahive.ca
https://www.newswire.ca/fr/news-releases/data-centers-and-network-connections-estruxture-and-datahive-shape-calgary-s-digital-economy-848971776.html
by cPanel3Admin | Oct 1, 2019 | News
By DAVID PARKER, CALGARY HERALD
After moving from Alberta to Montreal with her husband, Marjorie Zingle became the first woman selling equipment to pulp and paper mills. But when the couple made another move to Calgary in 1971, the company feared a woman would never survive selling to the oil and gas industry.
She tried real estate and the tourism industry, but decided she would be better off working for herself and began selling professional services to associations in an office building she purchased.
It required a lot of data, and when the Vancouver-based company that stored her two servers was in trouble she flew out to the coast and bought what was left of the company by selling her building.
That was in 2003 and Zingle was already 68 years old, but with courage and a strong will she set about installing new wiring and cabling, a powerful new air-conditioning system and a dedicated backup generator, and reconnected with the firm’s other clients.
That was the birth of DataHive, and with the same courage and passion it continues to be an amazing success story, providing its impressive list of clients with security, privacy and accessibility, while guaranteeing that they always know where their data is.
Now in its 15 year, her company stays ahead of the game with new services and new relationships.
Over the past while, Zingle has been meeting and building a business relationship with Todd Coleman, president and CEO of eStruxture, a data centre based in Montreal. Recently over a lunch he informed her of his purchase of the Shaw Communications data centre, a 65,000-square-foot facility in southeast Calgary.
The two companies are now working together to move data in a breakthrough service available in the downtown in association with Brookfield Asset Management. In 2015, Zingle was, honoured as one of the Top 7 over 70 and had the opportunity to spend time with Jim Gray, the organizer of the annual event who wanted to know more about her business.
Since then he has been working with her and Brookfield staff to create a state-of-the-art Mini Connected City. Last week, the initiative was delivered to a showcase of Brookfield’s suppliers and tenants of its five downtown towers. Zingle explained how they could now be connected with secure, fast and direct access to anywhere in the world.
Zingle says it’s a “piece of cake” to connect, allowing data to flow into high-capacity fibre-optic cables under 7 Avenue into her centre in the west end.
Up until a couple of years ago, international internet services were only available to Calgary companies through the four traditional internet providers. DataHive’s data centre now has a total of 27 internet providers in its downtown centre, tucked away behind a secure, nondescript door on a Plus-15 level.
A carrier-neutral facility, it allows customers to choose the provider they feel is best suited to their requirements.
DataHive is now the global internet backbone hub for Western Canada, making Calgary a truly internationally connected city. Today, downtown commercial realtors are asked the question, “How am I connected to the internet?” when presenting space to prospective clients. The DataHive Internet Service Provider Hotel with communication links globally will be a hugely beneficial opportunity for established companies and in attracting new ones to locate here.
