Case | LCL Belgium & Cu.be Solutions
LCL Belgium & Cu.be Solutions :
A Partnership Built on Innovation
For over two decades, LCL Belgium and Cu.be Solutions have collaborated to drive innovation and efficiency in data center management. What started as a simple supplier-customer relationship in 2002 has grown into a long-standing strategic partnership, enabling LCL to scale its operations and embrace digital transformation. From infrastructure management to process automation, Cu.be has played a pivotal role in LCL’s growth journey.
The Beginning of a Strong Collaboration
Our collaboration began in 2002 when LCL acquired the data center of Ebone/KPNQuest. At that time, Cu.be – then known under its original name FirstLink Networks – became LCL’s very first data center customer, providing rackspace and IP transit services. While LCL was initially Cu.be’s supplier, they soon required a trusted partner to manage their own IT infrastructure. Since Cu.be also rented office space within the same facility, the collaboration was a natural fit.
In 2005, after selling its data center services business, Cu.be developed an electricity monitoring system for LCL. This software allowed LCL to monitor power utilization at the rack level, ensuring effective capacity planning and accurate invoicing for overages. This solution remained integral to LCL’s operations for 14 years.
Expansion and Digital Evolution
As LCL expanded its footprint—adding locations in Antwerp and Aalst to its original site in Diegem—Cu.be continued to support its growth with innovative solutions. In 2016, LCL sought to implement a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to centralize all customer information. Their goal, driven by CEO Laurens van Reijen’s operational vision, was to create a single, unified view of each customer’s contracts, contacts, and assets. Cu.be proposed OroCRM, a cutting-edge B2B CRM platform developed by the founders of Magento. Leveraging its expertise in Symfony, the framework behind OroCRM, Cu.be customized the system to seamlessly integrate with LCL’s existing Jira Service Desk, enhancing customer service operations.
Automating for Scalability
By 2019, LCL had grown to five data center locations, each with multiple buildings. As manual processes began to hinder further expansion, Cu.be embarked on a multi-phase project to transform the CRM into a full-fledged Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform. This new system incorporated customer contract management, data center access rights, inventory management, and structured cabling tracking, all while maintaining comprehensive power monitoring. This digital transformation enabled full automation of both recurring and incidental invoicing, streamlining financial operations and reducing administrative overhead.
Technologies used
- PHP 8.x
- Symfony
- OroCRM
- Docker (local, test, staging and production)
- MySQL / Postgres
- Websockets
- Ansible
- and much more
Conclusion
Through years of innovation and collaboration, Cu.be Solutions has helped LCL evolve into a major player in the data center industry. With scalable and automated solutions in place, LCL was well-prepared for the next phase in its digital transformation journey: creating a state-of-the-art service experience for its customers.
