ARM Holdings, the Fulbourn-based chip designer, has posted forecast-beating fourth quarter figures which show profit jumped to £69 million against expectations of a £55 million fourth-quarter rise. Chairman Warren East said the firm was pleased with the results. “Of course, it’s the best set of results we’ve put out with record increases in whichever dimension you measure.”

Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust are seeking a provider for all of their IT services for the next seven years, it has been confirmed.

The contract, worth £31.5 million, is expected to provide all technical, hardware, software, non-clinical and clinical systems support to both trusts. The trusts are looking to deliver efficient and cost-effective IT services to transform and improve the ways in which they work.

Source: Public Service

Transtelco has announced that it has turned up additional fibre network routes in Central and South Texas consisting of Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Laredo and McAllen. Deployment has been on-going for the past 6 months and Transtelco plans to continue to build approximately 350+ Kilometres of fibre south of the US-Mexico Border in order to reach the Northern Mexico Cities of Reynosa, Monterrey and Saltillo.

Logicalis, an international IT solutions and managed services provider, has now launched its joint venture operation in Indonesia. The new company, known as Logicalis Metrodata Indonesia, was formed with leading Indonesian ICT Group, P.T. Metrodata Electronics, Tbk based in Jakarta.  Logicalis has a 51% shareholding and Metrodata 49%.

Vocus Communications, a leading Australian provider of Internet, fibre and  data centre services, has announced its expected results for the half year to 31 December 2011.  Expected revenue for the first half of FY2012 will be A$21.9 million, up 57% from A$13.9 million in the previous corresponding period.

The government has issued a pre-tender notice for ICT services worth up to £1.5 billion, as part of its Government ICT Strategy which aims to cut costs and improve procurement. The government has also previously declared it wants to use more open source software and award a larger chunk of IT contracts to SMEs. It also wants to award smaller contracts to help save money. The pre-tender notice states that the Government Procurement Service intends to set up an application development, delivery and support services framework.

Inside the shell of an office building in downtown Omaha, a local company is transforming the guts of the facility into a commercial data centre. The facility at 1623 Farnam St. already is home to the city's "Carrier Hotel," a place where all major telecommunications companies in Nebraska meet, connect and swap traffic through a convergence of underground cables in a "meet me room."

NTT Data Corp through its subsidiary Value Team Consulting & Solution has reached an agreement to acquire a 100% share of Total Systems Consulting Group, a Brazilian information technology company which specializes in IT solutions, payments application, consulting and outsourcing in Brazil.

Facebook spent $US606 million on its data centres in 2011and expects that to rise to at least $US1.6 billion this year as it rolls out more of its highly-customised data hubs. The socia network's 2011 capital expenditure included the purchase of servers, networking equipment, storage infrastructure and the construction of data centres, it revealed in its first Securities and Exchange Commission filing. 

GlobeSt.com has revealed that Griffin Capital on behalf of Griffin Capital Net Lease REIT, has purchased a three-building, 155,830-sq ft office and data centre facility fully occupied by AT&T Wireless Services. The property serves as AT&T Wireless’ National Network Operations Center, its ‘next-generation’ research and development facility, and is subject to a long term triple-net lease.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission plans to build a US$15 million data centre at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

MAC is soliciting bids from firms that want to construct the 10,700-sq ft facility, which will be located in the cargo area at the airport. Bids are due Feb. 14 and contracts will be awarded in March. Work on the facility will begin in April. MAC now has about 110 data rooms at the airport. It wants to build the data centre in order to consolidate those operations into one facility, said Alan Howell, who is managing the data centre project. 

UDF chief whip and MLA P C George has petitioned the high court seeking a CBI probe into the role of opposition leader and former chief minister V S Achuthanandan in 'manipulating the tender process' for the project to manage the government data centre.

The Government announced in the 2012-13 Budget a series of measures to support enterprises to preserve employment and stabilise the economy. It will also put in place measures to facilitate the timely development of data centres to further promote the industries where Hong Kong enjoys competitive advantages and sustain Hong Kong's competitiveness as a regional hub and international financial centre.

A fully operational Cayman Enterprise City officially launched last week with an event at the Royal Palms.  Premier McKeeva Bush spoke about how Cayman Enterprise City rapidly became a reality after he announced he had signed a memorandum of understanding to create a technology-based special economic zone at the Cayman Business Outlook conference in January 2011.  “I am delighted to announce today that Cayman Enterprise City, Cayman’s first special economic zone, is open for business,” he said.

Technology group Onyx plans to spend its entire £15 million war chest this year as it prepares for another year of growth that it hopes will push profits up by 50%. After a management-led buy-out in October which saw the Stockton firm taken over by London investors Isis Equity for £27 million, Onyx was given money to continue its acquisition spree. It now operates from 10 sites including Newcastle, Teesside, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Sheffield, and has five data centres and six workplace recovery facilities.

Altech Group has announced plans to invest US$1 million in the next year to build five data centres in East Africa. According to local media, the company intends to use the facilities to attract regional financial institutions, mobile service providers and government departments.

Despite a weakened economy, data centre industry experts predict strong continued growth and construction activity for the foreseeable future according to a new study by Mortenson Construction, a leading U.S.

Spanish-owned banking giant, Santander, has reportedly signed a contract worth in excess of £100 million to build a new data centre near the village of Narborough, Leicestershire. The company has asked Interior Services Group to build two facilities on a business park, each with approximately 160,000 sq ft of floor space. Both buildings are to have four levels, two of which will be below ground level to contain the computing equipment, whilst the upper two levels will house the M&E infrastructure.

IT spending increased by 5% at constant currency in 2011, despite the worsening economic situation in Western Europe and volatility in other regions, according to the IDC Worldwide Black Book. Emerging markets continued to lead the way, with tech spending in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) enjoying another year of double-digit growth. Strong demand for mobile devices and software across most regions ensured a positive finish to the year, despite the impact of the hard disk drive shortage on PC markets.

Consulting firm BroadGroup in a new report comments that Datacentres have experienced tremendous growth rates over the past five years, and now represent the most critical component of the Internet economy. Without datacentres, the emerging Cloud opportunities for agility and IT efficiency and increased competitiveness would not be possible to realise. 

PEER 1 Network Enterprises, operating as PEER 1 Hosting, a leading provider of online IT infrastructure, has announced its results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2011. 

Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, has reported its second quarter results for the period ended January 28, 2012. Cisco reported second quarter net sales of US$11.5 billion, net income on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis of US$2.2 billion and non-GAAP net income of US$2.6 billion.

An aggressive effort to eliminate data centre waste is now saving Autodesk about UUS$7 million a year, according to the design software company. The initiative led to the consolidation of 85% of the company's servers over the past year and enabled the company to exceed its target to reduce data centre energy use, said Lynelle Cameron, Autodesk's director of sustainability.

Digital Realty Trust, a leading global provider of data centre solutions, has announced that it has acquired a 10-acre development site in Dublin, Ireland. The property is located in Profile Park, approximately 15 miles southwest of Dublin International Airport. The site is capable of supporting the phased development of approximately 11.5 megawatts of data centre space across four buildings, totalling approximately 193,000 sq ft of space.

SunGard, one of the world’s leading software and technology services companies, has reported results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2011. For the fourth quarter, revenue was US$1.17 billion, down 3% year over year. Excluding one of our global trading businesses, a broker/dealer, revenue decreased 2%. At constant currency, the year over year revenue trends were the same.

University of Colorado officials have early-stage plans to build a new data centre on the east campus, a project estimated to cost between US$6 million and US$9 million.  The idea - presented to the Boulder Campus Planning Commission - is to begin bringing some of the smaller data centres now scattered throughout the campus in dozens of locations under one roof. Now, the smaller units need to be cooled individually, said Wayne Northcutt, a CU architect and facilities planner.

Cincinnati Bell has announced that its board of directors has authorized the company’s management to pursue the evaluation of structural, capital and financial alternatives for its growing data centre business. The company will consider options that may include, among others, operating the data centre business under the current structure with no changes, a partial separation through a sale, initial public offering, or other transaction, or, depending on the value to shareholders, a full separation.

A state economic development official has said that Iowa is competing with Nebraska to attract a US$1.2 billion data centre. Debi Durham, director of the state Partnership for Economic Progress, said she can’t name the company due to a confidentiality agreement. She said it’s not Google, Microsoft or IBM, all of which already have operations in Iowa. 

Growing software firm Open Access Technology International plans to build a second campus and data centre on 4.3 acres in Bloomington.

CACI Ltd, a leading supplier of IT solutions and telecoms consultancy services, has announced the acquisition of Tomorrow Communications, a UK based consultancy specialising in providing network design, data centre and managed services to large enterprise accounts in the financial services, online gaming and media industries. Tomorrow Communications will join CACI's telecommunications division and will continue to operate from its Waterloo office in London.

CSF Group - a leading provider of data centre facilities and services in south-east Asia - has confirmed that revenue and profits are broadly in line with expectations. The company expects the business mix for gross profit to be approximately 30% rental and maintenance and 70% design and development. 

Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Shoden Data Systems, a leading provider of data centre technology solutions in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

Telx Group Inc., the data centre operator acquired by Abry Partners LLC and Berkshire Partners LLC, is seeking a US$75 million term loan to refinance debt, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction. The debt, due in September 2017, will pay interest at 6.5 percentage points more than the London interbank offered rate, said the person, who declined to be identified because the terms are private. Libor, a rate banks say they can borrow in dollars from each other, will have a 1.25% floor.

Vodafone has confirmed that it is considering a cash offer for Cable & Wireless Worldwide, with the offer believed to be worth up to £700 million. The offer for Britain's second largest fixed line telecoms etwork comes as Vodafone seeks to bolster its network to cope with the explosion of internet traffic on mobile phones. "Vodafone regularlyreviews opportunities in the sector and confirms that it is in the very early stages of evaluating the merits of a potential offer for CWW," the firm said in a statement.

Dell Services has opened a new technology centre in Quincy, Washington, that will provide customers in North America access to cloud technologies and IT outsourcing services. The opening is part of Dell's ongoing commitment to develop new cloud-based services, solutions and delivery options.

Ace-market listed Nextnation Communication Bhd is proposing to undertake a private placement of 10% of its issued and paid-up share capital to Great World Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PT Inovisi Infracom, which is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Based on its issued and paid-up share capital of RM41.58mil comprising 415.80 million ordinary shares of 10 sen each as at Feb 10, the number of new shares to be issued pursuant to the proposed private placement would be 41.58 million placement shares, Nextnation said..

BT has announced a series of initiatives aimed at doubling its business across Turkey, the Middle East and Africa. Global companies investing in these regions, as well as local companies expanding further afield, will be supported by additional highly qualified staff, including professional services specialists. They will also gain access to a richer portfolio of innovative services, leveraging BT’s network breadth and depth.

At a ground-breaking ceremony for the first of two planned data centres at Deer Park in the Western Melbourne Region, Digital Realty Trust, a leading global provider of data centre solutions, announced that the entire project is expected to have a positive economic impact on the region estimated at $A365 million. The event was attended by the Victorian Government Minister for Technology, Mr. Gordon Rich-Phillips. Mr.

Equinix, a provider of global data centre services, has reported quarterly and year-end results for the period ended December 31, 2011. 

Vocus has revealed plans to open three new colocation facilities in Sydney and Melbourne over the next year to meet increased demand for data centre space. CEO James Spenceley has said that the company would build a third Sydney facility, S3, behind its existing centres in Alexandria, which it bought from E3 Networks alongside a Melbourne-based centre for A$5.9 million in 2010.

Equinix, a provider of global data centre services, has announced plans to build a new International Business Exchange data centre in Washington, D.C. Targeted to open in early 2013, the first phase is expected to cost US$88 million in expansion capital, and will have space for 1,200 cabinets with capacity for an additional 1,800 cabinets in future phases. The company also announced it will begin construction on phase two of its DC10 data centre for Business Suites, which is expected to be completed in Q4. Phase two of DC10 is expected to cost US$21 million in expansion capital.

To meet continuing strong customer demand for its IT infrastructure solutions in Latin America, Terremark, a Verizon Company, has announced the completion of the latest expansion of its Bogota, Colombia data centre, the Network Access Point (NAP) of the Americas-Colombia. The newly expanded cloud-enabled facility has doubled in size to approximately 10,000 sq ft of data centre floor space since its opening in 2008 and is considered one of the most connected data centers in Colombia.

The Chippewa Valley Technical College board approved a US$1.35 million remodeling project Thursday to turn a seldom-leased space in its north Eau Claire business incubation center into a computer data storage site. The decision now rests with the Wisconsin Technical College System board, which is expected to vote March 20 on CVTC's plan to add a data centre to NanoRite Innovation Center, 2322 Alpine Road.

Telecom company CenturyLink, which acquired Savvis for US$2.5 billion in July last year, saw its fourth-quarter profit drop nearly 52% to US$109 million on acquisition-related costs. CenturyLink had reported a profit of US$225 million in the prior year’s quarter.

A lack of urgency by Nama almost cost the country 230 jobs and over €100 million of investment by global internet giant Google. Google's investment in a new data centre which is now under construction at Profile Park in west Dublin would have gone to Stockholm, had it not been for the last-minute intervention by Environment Minister Phil Hogan with officials at South Dublin County Council.

It isn't AT&T nor Verizon Communications that pulled off the biggest cloud acquisition yet by a telecom company. That distinction belongs to Louisiana-based CenturyLink, which purchased Savvis in 2011 for US$2.5 billion as part of a strategy to expand business services. CenturyLink, which became the nation's No. 3 local phone company by purchasing Qwest and Embarq, has also built up its data-centre holdings through acquisitions. Savvis brought it 32 data centres, while Qwest brought 16.

ANS Group, the data centre and managed services expert, has released strong half-year financial figures that show a 100% growth in turnover and a 90% growth in gross profit. The company, that specialises in providing IT business solutions for over 600 customers in both the public and private sector, has seen turnover grow from £8,981,003 at half-year 2010 to £17,990,338 at half-year 2011. Gross profit has grown from £2,310,995 to £4,389,716 in the same period, with net operating profit rising by 62% from £688,274 to £1,117,173.

After raising £60 million in funding last year and securing a further £25 million through a credit facility earlier this month, data services provider Six Degrees Group this morning announced its sixth acquisition. 

CoSentry, a leader in cloud computing and managed technical services, announced it has started construction on a US$30 million project to build and outfit a 60,000 sq ft data centre in Lenexa, Kansas. The new data centre will be built to accommodate clients seeking highly resilient, very secure facilities and infrastructure for their IT requirements. CoSentry will partner with JE Dunn Construction for the build of the advanced facility, commenting on the experience and reputation that led to their decision. 

Alabama lawmakers, economic developers and business leaders are hoping a bill meant to lure data centres will create jobs and boost capital investment throughout the state. The bill would extend tax breaks for companies building data centres that employ at least 20 people earning an average pay of US$40,000, and supporters say it will level the playing field as Alabama competes with other states for the projects.

Apple has confirmed it has bought 160 acres in central Oregon and plans a data centre there. Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet confirmed the deal Tuesday to KTVZ-TV but declined to discuss any details.

The station reports that the Prineville, Ore., parcel purchased from Crook County for US$5.6 million is close to a huge data centre built by Facebook. A property deed filed last week with the county clerk’s office identified Apple as the buyer in a project previously code-named “Maverick.”

Source: Washington Post

Sentrum, a specialist in data centre solutions, has said that the UK data centre sector is showing a strong response to increased demands from UK businesses for more flexibility as companies battle to control spiralling data storage costs. The growing need for increased levels of data storage comes hand-in-hand with a new pressure on businesses to manage ‘Big Data’ stores as cost-effectively as possible. 

Colt results highlights included:

Transformed our organisation structure to drive revenue through three customer-centric units

Introduced innovative, market leading compute and data centre services for both our enterprise and indirect customers and continued to lead in pan-European Ethernet network services

Increased our vertical sector capabilities through the acquisition of MarketPrizm

RagingWire Data Centers, the data centre provider, has announced that the company secured US$140 million in revolving credit facilities with two banks led by Bank of America, priced at a rate of US$ LIBOR plus 1.75% or 2.02% all-in.

Internap Network Services, a leading provider of IT infrastructure services, has announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2011. 

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) intends to ramp up its IT spending after posting losses of £2 billon for the 2011 financial year. According to Computerworld UK, the part-nationalised bank has been forced to invest significantly in its IT infrastructure due to regulatory changes, such as US governance and risk management requirements.

Australian data centre operator, NextDC, has posted a loss in net profits after tax of A$3.26 million for the six months to 31 December 2011, attributable to start-up costs of its first data in Brisbane which went live in October. In a statement to the ASX, the company noted the loss was reflective of the start-up nature of the business, which was founded in May 2010, and early stage revenue growth.

Rackspace is set to build another data centre in the UK, rather than expanding its reach across Europe. The company’s recently appointed managing director of international, Taylor Rhodes, told Cloud Pro it would be better for business to expand in the UK before venturing further afield.  “Plans are not set, but I would think in the next two to three years we will build another data centre in the UK,” he said.

An information and communication technology hub is to be developed at Nasrec in Gauteng, the provincial government has said. Several major international and local investors had committed themselves to the development, which would become an ICT manufacturing centre for the country, said economic development MEC Qedani Mahlangu. Some of the biggest investors were from China. “We are working with the minister of communications to iron out the last few problems,” Mahlangu told reporters at the Gauteng legislature.

Rackspace is looking to recruit 350 people this year to support growing demand for its cloud services in the UK. The hosting company is looking for graduates and experienced professionals to fill technology roles, as well as positions in business development, customer services and sales. Technology roles that are available include infrastructure and solutions architects, Linux and Windows Engineers and NAS (Network-attached storage) engineers. The jobs will be based at its UK office locations in Slough and Hayes.

Digital Realty Trust, a leading global provider of data centre solutions, has announced that it has acquired an 819,000 sq ft operating data centre and office campus, ocated in Lewisville, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The purchase price was approximately US$123 million.

euNetworks Group has announced solid fourth quarter and full year results, with continued growth of the business. Following the successful completion of two acquisitions in Germany and a rights offering, euNetworks is well positioned to take advantage of further opportunities.

DTZ, part of UGL Services, has successfully completed a sale and leaseback deal on a multi-million pound Data Centre in Newark on Trent on behalf of communications service provider, Timico. Sudervest, a Reuben Brothers company, has purchased the freehold interest in the Data Centre for £5.1million. The purchase price reflects a net initial yield of 8%.