TechTrend has announced that the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration has awarded TechTrend, a US$ 6.3 million contract to provide contractor support to assist FAA in planning, implementing, and monitoring the Data Center Consolidation Initiative.

Racktivity, an innovator in next-generation energy and uptime management solutions for data centres, has announced the closing of an US$8 million Series B round of financing led by Partech International, with the participation of existing investor Big Bang Ventures. The funds will be used to accelerate Racktivity’s product, technology and market development initiatives.

Racktivity’s integrated solutions are intended to substantially improve uptime and reduce energy consumption, costs and carbon emissions of data centres.

Source: Source Wire

Data Foundry, a provider of wholesale and retail data centre outsourcing, colocation, and disaster recovery services, has announced that Mattress Firm, a leading specialty bedding retailer has selected Data Foundry's robust disaster recovery solutions for fully redundant, secure colocation and diverse network connectivity to support its data infrastructure and e-commerce operations.

Round Rock-based Dell has reported that the firm's PowerEdge servers have been selected by the Chicago Board Options Exchange for a data centre upgrade.

The two said that Dell was selected to upgrade more than 700 servers running in the CBOE's data centre. Financial details of the win were not disclosed.

Source: Texas Tech Pulse

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UnitedLayer, a colocation data centre company and managed hosting provider in California, has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Abhijit Phanse, following the acquisition of the company by Accelon Capital, a private equity firm with a focus on growth-stage companies.

State tax incentives to get more data centres plugged in to Grant County's cheap power seem to be working. Yahoo, the Internet mega-company, has begun construction on a fast-track expansion of its existing 180,000 sq ft facility, a Port of Quincy spokesman confirmed.

Telx, an interconnection and colocation provider in strategic North American markets, has announced that it has expanded the data centre footprints of two key locations: Dallas, Texas and Clifton, New Jersey.

The addition of a total of 12,500 sq ft of conditioned/raised floor capacity for financial institutions, media and content companies, service providers, cloud providers and Software as a Service providers allows Telx to meet high demand for colocation and interconnection services at these two strategically-located data centres.

F5 Networks has announced that IlliniCloud, a non-profit cloud computing organization, has deployed F5 solutions to help deliver cost-effective cloud services for public and private schools in Illinois.

Formed in 2007, IlliniCloud provides cloud services that help Illinois schools run critical applications ranging from school administration and disaster recovery services to student performance tracking and video hosting. Because it is a non-profit organization, IlliniCloud can focus on delivering low cost services to schools.

Source: Business Wire

The Securities and Exchange Commission has called off plans to a lease a new data centre, according to agency contracting officials. The move, as the end of its current contract nears, marks the second time the regulatory agency has abandoned efforts to find a home for one of two primary data centres it maintains.

On Dec. 2, SEC officials used the contracting bulletin board FedBizOpps.gov to cancel a request for proposals, issued only two months prior, for a new 4,000 sq ft primary data centre in the Washington area to supplement its other data centre in Alexandria, Virginia.

Dell Services has signed a five-year contract with global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group to provide hosting and support for Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise and Hyperion Performance Management applications. Under the agreement, Dell Services will provide technical support, application maintenance and integration services for The Carlyle Group's Enterprise Resource Planning implementation.

ScienceLogic, a provider of IT Operations and Cloud Monitoring solutions, has announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters to 10700 Parkridge Boulevard, Reston, Virginia.

Located in Parkridge Center 4, the new office space encompasses almost 30,000 sq ft, four times the old headquarters space, in order to grow staff rapidly for expanded development and customer support capabilities. The new location will also feature a state-of-the-art data centre for product testing in a robust multi-vendor lab environment

Source: American Banking News

Facebook representatives on Tuesday described how to apply for work at the company’s US$450 million data centre now under construction here.

Facebook also announced that just three weeks into the project, the first of its local contractors are working on the data centre, which will eventually connect the more than 500 million people around the world who use the pioneering social networking service. The local hires include Tri City Concrete Company and GDS (Garbage Disposal Service) as well as electrical workers and others.

Source: Citizen Times

The US Department of Agriculture has announced y plans to migrate 120,000 users to Microsoft’s online services for email and collaboration services – less than a week after GSA’s contract award to Unisys for similar cloud services from Google.

The USDA’s services will be hosted on a dedicated cloud powered by data centres located in the continental United States, Adams added – a detail that competitor Google and systems integrator Unisys could not confirm for the GSA contract, which they were awarded Dec. 1.

Source: Washington Business Journal

CoreLink Data Centers CEO Geoff Hampson Resigns and the company has appointed Charles Picasso Executive Chairman and Interim CEO.

As the founding CEO, Geoff Hampson has played a strategic role in helping CoreLink achieve its business objectives over the past several years," said Picasso. "It is a small group of people who can take a company from concept to market leadership like Geoff has at CoreLink."

Source: Trading Markets

Brown-Forman. has chosen Peak 10 to relocate its global data centre and entire network. Charlotte, N.C.-based Peak 10 has data centres in 10 markets across the eastern United States, including Louisville.

Louisville-based Brown-Forman has about 4,000 employees with products sold in 135 countries. It produces alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Fetzer, Korbel, el Jimador and Tequila Herradura.

Source: Biz Journals

Server hosting service provider Savvis has forecast higher revenues for fiscal year 2011 compared to the preceding year. The revenue outlook is in line with analysts' expectations.

Ahead of the company's investor day, Missouri-based Savvis forecast revenue for fiscal year 2011 in a range of US$1.03 billion-US$1.06 billion. Analysts have a consensus revenue estimate for the year of US$1.05 billion.

Source: RTT News

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GE Intelligent Platforms has announced that Vantage Data Centers, a new wholesale data centre operator, has chosen the company’s high availability mission critical solution to enable Vantage to deliver energy-efficient, scalable, data centre solutions to enterprise customers.

Vantage Data Centers, which is focused on the ownership, development and operation of highly efficient and scalable wholesale data centres, will leverage GE Intelligent Platforms’ hardware and software solutions for its 37 MW Santa Clara Data Center campus.

Source: Automation World

Business networking service LinkedIn was down on Saturday while the team finalizes the upgrades to their new data centre in Los Angeles. LinkedIn’s Stefan Apitz has posted about the maintenance window regarding the data centre upgrades on the LinkedIn blog. Chicago tech blogger Alex Wilhelm posted about the data centre upgrade.

Based on search results on Twitter and unlike outages with microblog service Tumblr, LinkedIn users appear to be calm regarding the downtime.

Source: Center Networks

Lightower Fiber Networks, a lmetro fibre network and bandwidth service provider based in Boxborough, MA, has announced that it is acquiring Open Access , a provider of diverse, cost-effective, customized end-to-end communications solutions, based in Farmingdale, NY.

With the acquisition of Open Access, Lightower expands its existing network and customer base throughout Long Island and the greater New York City region. Open Access owns and operates a network across Long Island and the surrounding areas providing access to over 230 commercial buildings and data centres.

Syracuse University was recently acknowledged for implementing a Green Data Center to drive an effective and efficient reduction in data centre power. The institution’s data centre has actually been called one of the world’s greenest computer centres and is the result of collaboration between SU, IBM and New York State.

AboveNet, a provider of high bandwidth connectivity solutions, has announced a strategic sales campaign to expand its network reach to enterprises and carriers in the top U.S. metro markets. The campaign will initially focus on customers in the more than 400 data centres already connected to AboveNet's high performance, low latency network.

For about a decade, Rackspace Hosting has operated two of its nine data centres here. But about 30 employees could have different responsibilities next year if the San Antonio-based company decides not to renew the leases for the local data centres in 2012.

Along with attempting to downsize its budget and pension obligations, the city is looking to downsize its real estate. "We have 1 million sq ft too much," Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith told the executives of the Real Estate Board of New York at the group's holiday lunch at the Waldorf Astoria.

Safe Technologies International, a cloud-based provider of mission-critical IT, backup and disaster recovery services, has announced it has selected Rackspace Hosting, as its trusted hosting provider. Safe Technologies will be using Rackspace to enhance SFAZ's IT support deployments and Cloud Services Provisioning Speed. Safe Technologies chose Rackspace particularly for fast implementation time and the ability to scale along with the company's growth.

The CRTC has given AboveNet Communications of White Plains, NY, the green light to lease unused fibre from a Canadian carrier. AboveNet is all set to move north and sell services off of unused dark fibre. Result? Enterprises in Canada will have a wider range of telecommunications providers to buy high speed services from. The company offers optical, Ethernet and IP-based connectivity to enterprises and carriers.

Twitter is considering expanding into Sacramento with a new server centre, according to reports. The micro-blogging website currently stores much of its data on servers through New York-based NTT America, which has cited Twitter's growth as a driver of its own expansion.

Unnamed sources have said that Twitter is scouting out locations in Sacramento to house a data centre of its own to help handle its rapid growth -- the social media site has been adding up to 300,000 users a day this year, the report said.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Telephone and Data Systems has purchased TEAM Technologies, a privately owned data centre provider, for US$47 million. TEAM has data centres in Fitchburg, and in Des Moines and Cedar Falls, Iowa, and will be managed by TDS. TEAM, currently based in Cedar Falls, has a total of 20 employees, eight of them in Fitchburg. All will keep their jobs, TDS spokeswoman DeAnne Boegli said.

Callidus Software has announced that it opened a new state-of-the-art Class A Tier III data centre in Ashburn, Virginia. The data centre became operational in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Leslie Stretch, president and CEO at Callidus Software. Said “This new facility, with its strategic location on the eastern seaboard of the US, will enable us to effectively serve our on demand customers around the world, from North America to EMEA to the Asia-Pacific regions."

Source: SYS CON

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Server Farm Realty is nearing completion of its new 26,900 sq ft data centre located in the heart of Santa Clara, Calif.

The data centre offers an engineering design that provides for some of the industry’s lowest PUE (power usage effectiveness) ratios. With an average of 1.3 PUE, the facility offers among the most cost-effective power per server pricing in Santa Clara. The facility, which is on target to meet LEED Silver requirements, will be ready for tenant occupancy in April 2011.

Source: Business Wire

Green House Data, the rocky mountain regions first 100% green data centre, has announced their plans to open another green data centre facility in 2011 that is focused on cloud hosting and colocation services. This new property will be in addition to their existing data centre located in Cheyenne, WY.

The Wired Real Estate Group has been tapped to lead the data centre real estate search in conformity with the sustainable practices of Green House.

Source: Pitch Engine

A California developer wants to build on old Bethlehem Steel land a data storage centre that would employ 100 people and possibly keep Department of Defense information secure behind 12-foot concrete walls.

Hewlett-Packard is doubling down on Atlanta with plans to add more than 200 local jobs next year. The expansion, which involves expanding an existing data centre in Alpharetta, could eventually generate up to 1,000 jobs, sources said.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP has a roughly 60-acre campus on Windward Parkway, where it employs more than 850 in three office buildings. The company, which declined comment, also operates a data centre in Suwanee.

Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Since October 2009, CB Richard Ellis’ Rob Faktorow has been crafting a database that inventories all data centre square footage in Northern Virginia, one of several markets the company is tracking nationally.

Cataloguing the location, availability and connectivity of the area’s 8.6 million-sq ft data centre market took countless hours, but Faktorow said the client payoff has been huge.

Source: Washington Business Journal

Utropicmedia, an established collocation service located in Detroit, Michigan, will be opening up an expansive new facility in early 2011. The 20,000 sq ft addition will allow Utropicmedia to increase its already well-developed colocation services and enable a greater deal of availability and higher quality service for a growing client base.

The upcoming 20,000 sq ft addition in 2011 will position Utropicmedia as an unparalleled colocation provider in the Michigan area

Source: PR Canada

HP has announced that SHI International has selected HP Networking solutions as the network infrastructure for its new Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Cloud Center.

iWeb, a global provider of Internet hosting services and IT infrastructure today released its financial results for the year ended September 30, 2010.

Fourth-quarter highlight included revenues of to US$7.7 million for the quarter, compared to US$6.3million in 2009; EBITDA reaches US$1.8 million (24% of revenues), nearly double the US$1.0million (16% of revenues) reported for Q4 2009 and net income of US$56 000 for the quarter

Source: Web Host Directory

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NaviSite, a provider of enterprise-class hosting, managed application, managed messaging and managed cloud services, has announced the sale of its Dallas, Texas colocation business to Cologix Dallas, a subsidiary of Cologix, for US$12.75 million in cash. A

Walmart is upgrading and expanding its data warehouse to achieve next-generation capabilities. The retailer is broadening its current agreement with Teradata, and will use Teradata technology that is expected to offer a 50% reduction in required floor space and a 40% cut in energy consumption.

The planned expansion includes a technology refresh program that will keep Walmart's data warehouse on the leading edge of technology adoption, and the agreement includes a research and development relationship between Walmart and Teradata

Source:RIS

AboveNet, a provider of high bandwidth connectivity solutions, has announced it is expanding its high performance network in Seattle. New fibre optic rings will provide short, low latency routes from downtown Seattle to the Sabey Data Center Complex in Tukwila and include connections into the new American Life data centre.

AboveNet's fibre optic network in Seattle currently spans 250 route miles stretching from Mukilteo to the north to Tacoma in the south, with routes throughout downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and around Lake Washington.

Source: PR Newswire

Sentrigo, the innovator in database security and provider of data protection solutions for the data centre and the cloud has announced that it has secured US$6 million in a Series C funding round.

The financing will allow Sentrigo to increase global sales and marketing activities in support of its rapid revenue growth rate, as well as to continue expanding its database security and data integrity solutions for the cloud.

Source: PR Web

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All those devices, applications, databases and servers people and businesses use every day require data. Lots of it. That data needs to reside somewhere, and the city of Eagan would like a piece of the storage pie. There is currently just one data storage facility that's open to all carriers in the metro area, in Minneapolis, and a consultant has told Eagan there's demand for more. The Twin Cities is the only metro area in the nation that has just one such facility.

CSC, a provider of technology-enabled offerings and services, has acquired CenTauri Solutions, a provider of IT systems and services, systems engineering and intelligence analysis, based in Alexandria, Virginia.

The acquisition will enable CSC to deliver IT services and offerings as a prime contractor through the Defense Intelligence Agency's US$6.6 billion offerings for Information Technology Enterprises indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

Source: CBR

Wilmington-based First Bank of Delaware recently completed a consolidation of three data centres into two, a move that will save the bank approximately US$60,000 a year. To help the bank meet its goal of performing a data migration while keeping voicemail systems and critical proprietary application servers protected and available 24x7, it used software from Vision Solutions called Double-Take Availability.

Colocation and data centre operator Involta has announced it has raised US$8 million in equity financing to fund two new enterprise, colocation data centres, including a new facility in Akron, Ohio and another facility to be announced in the coming months.

First announced in August, the US$20 million Akron, Ohio facility will be 46,000 sq ft and is expected to be fully operational by fourth quarter of 2011. Financing in the equity round was led by Stephen C. Gray of Gray Venture Partners. He will serve as chairman on the Involta board of directors.

Source: The WHIR