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 Ninth Annual GTI Golf Outing was held on Monday, September 18, 2006 at the South Hills Country Club in Wisconsin.  Attendees came from as far away as Paris, France.

Major sponsors included FirstLoan Mortgage, LTD., Texas Roadhouse Restaurants, SEIKO, Continental Autosports (Maserati), Bandito Barrney's, Rosie O'Hares, VP Automotive, Wells Bros. Restaurant and Tenuta's of Kenosha.

In the “great race” for global competitiveness, economic development equals broadband connectivity and broadband connectivity equals jobs. The fuel for broadband connectivity is the need for speed. That’s all the consumer needs to know. In fact, that’s all politicians need to know.

Project Lightspeed offers data speeds that are nothing out of the ordinary and are not being well received by those in the know. Staying with copper to the door (CTTD) instead of upgrading to fiber to the premise (FTTP, which is also referred to as fiber to the home or FTTH) is like saying you’re going to put in a stagecoach to run a 500-mile NASCAR race.

Is your building technologically obsolete? Are you paying too much for too little? Understanding what technology is available in a building is very important in the selection process of tenant space.

It is also important to current tenants who are contemplating a move to another building space. With all the properties available today, some should be avoided as they offer nothing in the way of broadband connectivity for global competitiveness.

There is a continual cycle for organizational competitiveness (see chart below). In this cycle, you move from competitive advantage to competitive necessity to competitive disadvantage depending on where you are with the application of technology to the organization.

Security issues are not just a techie thing. Security should be viewed as a high-level area of concern that spans across systems, network infrastructures and facilities.

Has your organization learned anything from the events of Sept. 11, 2001? Does your company fully understand risk management aside from computer security? Has your firm spent a lot of money on “hardening” your facility in the last five years? Do you think that money was well spent or wasted?

While some municipalities are fighting AT&T about Project Lightspeed and others are looking at Wi-Fi applications, others are looking at major fiber-optic investments. While these fiber investments have paid off in Utah as we mentioned in last week’s column, there are others that we don’t hear much about in the Midwest.

As I have warned in previous editorials, presentations at national conferences and network security courses, many organizations that have acquired enterprise security packages are still vulnerable to major security breaches.

Are cable franchise agreements needed for AT&T to move forward on its deployment of Project Lightspeed?

If you’re going to go through all this redeployment, AT&T should be setting its sights higher on real broadband and long-term capabilities. Providing another flavor of DSL is shortsighted.

The global demand for all kinds of energy is growing. That is a statement you hear within many business reports and some people are taking a proactive approach in rearranging their power sources. This is from Energy Photovoltaics, Inc.:

The $3.5 billion photovoltaic module market is projected to grow to a $27 billion to $30 billion business by 2020. Concerns about increasing world energy consumption, adverse environmental impact and global warming are creating an unprecedented demand for reliable renewable energy sources. Amorphous silicon offers the best approach currently known to meet the growing demand for clean, renewable and affordable energy on a global basis.

CHICAGO – Based on feedback from around the world, there is a definite change in loyalty and attitudes in terms of whether or not employees feel obligated to give a two-week notice when leaving one employer for another, writes adjunct Northwestern professor James Carlini.

About a year ago, I wrote a column criticizing an “advice article” in the Chicago Tribune about the practice of giving two-week notices when leaving a company. It was published both on ePrairie and with the Wisconsin Technology Network (WTN). The Wisconsin copy was left up for comments. Since then, there have been many comments and personal stories of people leaving jobs.

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The Annual Global Technology Invitational (GTI) will be held at the South Hills Country Club in Racine County, Wisconsin right up on Highway 94/41 just north of Highway 20 (Exit 333).  Always held no matter what the weather.  $480 per foursome by August 1st.  $520 per foursome after August 1st.

Again some proceeds will be used for ChowChow Rescue and other Animal Rescue organizations.  Sponsorships and reservations call 773-370-1888. Great prizes for everyone.

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Driving down the GTI course in a Maserati from Continental Motorsports.  One of many Illinois sponsors including: FirstLoan Mortgage, VP Automotive, Bandito Barney's. Rosie O'Hare's and our Wisconsin sponsors Texas Roadhouse Restaurants, Wells Bros. Restaurant, Tenuta's Deli and Liquor Store.  No one got the car - but everyone got a sharp GTI hat.

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