Filed Wednesday, October 4. 2006
Is Chicago competing effectively with the east and west coasts by developing a tier-three data center at DuPage National Technology Park? Last week, CenterPoint Properties announced that it is breaking ground on a 62,000-square-foot colocation data center at the DuPage National Technology Park in west Chicago. In a press release issued last week, CenterPoint described the project as such:
The build-to-suit facility, which is called the Cyber Continuity Center, will be owned and managed by Cyber Continuity Center West Chicago LLC and is expected to open in the spring of 2007. “We are excited to work with CenterPoint Properties at the DuPage National Technology Park,” said Cyber Continuity Center managing partner Charles Wm. Foster. “It provides a great opportunity to bring an innovative technology product to market and deliver premier data storage and disaster recovery services to our infrastructure-intensive client base. “The Cyber Continuity Center will be Chicagoland’s most secure colocation data center [and will cater] to a broad range of information-sensitive companies.” The Cyber Continuity Center will meet and exceed the Uptime Institute’s tier-three data center designation, which makes it one of only a handful of such facilities in the U.S. The rapid growth of digital information and Internet use is driving the need for data storage and colocation services. This allows off-site businesses to use the facility as either their primary data center or as a redundant disaster recovery center. The Cyber Continuity Center will contain two separate areas managed and operated by a technical support team. One space will house multiple server racks for lease by businesses requiring data storage support. The second space will offer micro-suites, which are entirely private data centers that benefit from the tier-three infrastructure of the larger building. Los Angeles, Jacksonville There is evidence that companies in other geographic areas are also trying to ensure they don’t fall behind by failing to offer competitive data center backup, network services and easy access to them. In Los Angeles, they have the One Wilshire. This is a 30-floor, fiber-optic building that “serves as the de facto nexus for most of the telecommunications traffic for this hemisphere”. This is a huge carrier hotel type of operation. In Jacksonville, Fla., PEAK 10 is a data center backup facility that also provides many backup services at gigabit speeds. Its focus is more toward being the alternate data center for many firms in the Southeast as well as some nationwide. This is from a recent press release from InfoStreet on the west coast: InfoStreet’s decision to participate in this exchange at One Wilshire was part of its ongoing dedication to customer service, commitment … and network uptime. InfoStreet’s current service-level agreement (SLA) contract is 99.95 percent, but as part of this move, InfoStreet will now offer customers a 99.99 percent SLA for network uptime. One Wilshire … is located at the epicenter of a rich network of data switches and offers unparalleled connectivity among communication firms. Today, One Wilshire has emerged as the premier communications hub of the Pacific Rim and is branded internationally within the telecommunications industry as the single most important point of connectivity in the western U.S. One Wilshire is home to virtually all of the market leaders in the telecommunications industry. The property currently houses more than 300 telecom service providers including AT&T, Broadwing, Cable & Wireless, Global Crossing, Level 3 Communications, WorldCom, PacBell, Qwest Communications, Sprint, Time Warner, Verizon and XO Communications. One Wilshire has ensured proper adaptation of its original infrastructure to accommodate the specific needs of its telecommunications clientele. The building provides numerous options for standby power generation, rooftop space, riser space for data, air conditioning and electrical needs. Are we finally catching up to both coasts or are we actually surpassing them? Who Can Claim What in Connectivity All the facilities are offering intelligent amenities and network connectivity needed to attract and support demanding tenants. Which one is the best? Which one is more marketing hype than it is actual delivery of systems and services? This is a perfect scenario to start measuring those amenities and providing a clear comparison of what is really offered. Only then can companies effectively choose which facility can meet their needs. Carlinism: Measuring a building’s IQ has been around for almost 20 years. It’s time to pull out the yardsticks again and start measuring capabilities. Last modified on 2008-11-19 16:42
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