Data centres exceed 2016 growth expectations

Investment highlights include adding 8MW of new capacity and 100,000ft² in Portland, beginning development of 6MW of new capacity, as well as improving and re-commissioning 8MW in Silicon Valley, and completing Phase 1 of a facility-wide security upgrade at Infomart Dallas.

“2016 was a remarkable year for Infomart,” remarks John Sheputis, President of Infomart Data Centers. “We completed a record amount of development and we did so while maintaining our track record of zero SLA events since inception. We met the fast-scaling demands of several new tenants, and our projects included notable innovations in efficiency and sustainability. As cloud usage reshapes the IT landscape, Infomart has become much more than an owner and manager of premier data center locations. We have established Infomart as an industry leader in enabling the most sustainable IT operations in the world.”

In November, LinkedIn’s data center in Infomart Portland was awarded the Efficient IT (EIT) Stamp of Approval by Uptime Institute. The award certifies the organization’s sustainable leadership in IT, evidencing better control of how resources are both consumed and allocated. The project, which went from concept to commissioning to hosting production IT operations within a year, included building construction, sustainably sourcing electricity, and installing a hyper-efficient cooling design to meet the client’s dynamic IT demand. This effort was the first enterprise colocation partnership to receive the Efficient IT Stamp of Approval, obtaining several of the highest scores ever awarded for efficiency and sustainable operations. Additionally, a 25,000ft² office lease at Infomart Portland added 125 staff to an existing tenant’s IT operations.

Even with zero SLA events since inception, Infomart Silicon Valley implemented substantial improvements to further enhance the reliability and completed RackReady fit-outs for three new wholesale tenants. Capital enhancements included additional backup generation and UPS capacity for 2(N+1) reliability, with 8MW of existing critical capacity being re-commissioned at a higher tier rating. The facility also added multiple office suites to accommodate 25 new IT operations staff for new tenants. Other improvements included a second network Meet-Me Room (MMR), and preparations for adding another 6MW of new capacity in 2017. Last, but not least, Infomart Silicon Valley became the first facility in the world to become a three-time recipient of the Uptime Institute’s Management & Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval.

Infomart also completed significant, building-wide security enhancements to its iconic Dallas facility in 2016. This included a new Security Operations Center (SOC), updated access controls, additional surveillance capabilities and an expanded security staff. Along with the physical security upgrades, building management also formed a Security Council with a group of representatives comprised of building tenants to collaborate on new access and visitor management policies and procedures. Infomart Dallas also achieved several new industry certifications in 2016 including Uptime Institute’s M&O Stamp of Approval, SSAE 16 Type II, SSAE 16 SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS and HIPAA/HITECH. With these enhanced features, the security at Infomart Dallas is now consistent with that of the world’s leading mega data centers.

In addition to exceeding its operational and growth milestones, Infomart clocked over 200,000 hours of construction in 2016 with zero OSHA recordable injuries throughout all construction and maintenance projects. Most notably, Infomart closed out the year at 705 occupancy within its operational facilities, and expects to bring an additional 12MW of supply online in 2017, including Infomart’s entry into the Ashburn, VA market.