The challenge that EBRC has been facing since its inception: digital at the service of a socially-responsible world
EBRC - European Business Reliance Centre – has for the past 18 years worked towards merging its values and requirements for IT operations efficiency. EBRC’s location at the heart of Europe puts it in the ideal position to offer IT outsourcing and Cyber-Resilience services from five Data Centres located in Luxembourg and providing access to 70% of the European GDP within a radius of under 500 kilometres. Opting for an EBRC Data Centre makes sense not only because of the guarantee provided in terms of infrastructure observance, and data quality and security, but also in terms of social responsibility.
“We were doing ISO before doing ISO was a thing”: an ethical business
Trusted and secured infrastructures are two of the foundations on which EBRC bases its services aimed at operating and securing its customers’ data in accordance with internationally-recognised best practices.
“We were doing ISO before doing ISO was a thing”, said Sandrine Boucquey, Head of HR and Legal at EBRC, in reference to the ISO 26000 standard on CER. Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER), which must now be front-of-mind for all businesses, is rooted in the genes of society itself and revolves around three pillars: governance, the social component and the environment.
In 2010, EBRC became one of the first Luxembourg-based business to obtain the ESR (Socially-responsible Business) label awarded by the INDR (National Institute for Sustainable Development and CER), under the auspices of the Union of Luxembourg-based Businesses (Union des Entreprises luxembourgeoises - UEL). EBRC has successfully renewed the label every three years since then, and although the label is meant to evidence the fact that its CER policy is in line with the reality in the field, Sandrine Boucquey emphasizes that: “We embody our CER responsibility in society on a day-to-day basis”.
Eco-responsible governance
EBRC is able to rely on its employees’ involvement and commitment to the CER project through various initiatives: waste management, responsible use of electricity, infrastructure management, information confidentiality, and more. In 2017, EBRC received the Great Place to Work award for the fourth year in a row.
Human capital is one of EBRC’s major assets. Employee concerns and requests are heard, and the company responds with appropriate solutions. For instance, flexible working hours offer employees an optimal work/life balance. EBRC also offers decentralised shared spaces from which employees can work, with the approval of their manager, instead of travelling to the head office every day, all of which further contributes to improving employee comfort and reducing their carbon footprint.
Finally, significant budgets are set aside each year to provide up-to-date training to employees.
“Our corporate culture is built around the EARTH values: Excellence, Agility, Responsibility, Trust, Human”, said Sandrine Boucquey, Head of HR and Legal at EBRC.
EBRC promotes sustainability in its business. It aims at giving meaning to what it does, and to raise awareness among stakeholders in order to enrich the company’s culture and reputation, and improve its sustainability.
To this end, EBRC focuses on quality and seeks out Excellence by continuously improving its services; the ultimate goal is operational excellence. EBRC also promotes a culture of Agility to meet the challenges inherent to the digital world and continuously adapt to change. Its Responsibility is evident in its commitment to saving the planet. EBRC commits to building durable relationships with its stakeholders (customers, employees, partners, and others) and seeks to implement and maintain Trust over the long term. Finally, the Human aspect is the core of EBRC’s entire system. The services were built on the foundation of diversity and teamwork, and both determine and guarantee the customers’ success.
The EARTH values are the pillars of EBRC’s business. They are the basis on which the teams can build a resilient ecosystem, while taking care of the planet. EBRC works towards minimising its carbon footprint. The European Commission awarded EBRC the “European Code of Conduct for Data Centres” in 2011 and 2016. Having obtained the ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications, EBRC has committed to using new, efficient technologies such as Kyoto wheels, solar panels and pulverised water tower cooling systems. 100% of the electricity it uses is of hydroelectric origin. EBRC is committed to being a fully eco-responsible IT company.
“EBRC creates value for the community and the ecosystem by making the human component the foundation of its strategy aimed at building a better world together”, said Yves Reding, EBRC CEO.