New data center stresses security
From the floor-to-ceiling locking turnstile to the “man trap” that prevents tailgating into the high-tech computer room, it’s readily apparent that security is of utmost importance at ViaWest’s new Lone Mountain data center in North Las Vegas.
Security and redundancy. That’s what ViaWest’s clients want from a data center that’s critical to cloud computing and Web-based businesses, said Michael Vignato, general manager and regional vice president of the Denver-based technology company.
ViaWest, which acquired CoreLink’s data center in downtown Las Vegas last year, is opening the first Tier IV-designed colocation facility in North America, the executive said during a tour of the 110,000-square-foot data center.
Tier IV means the facility is fault-tolerant and capable of withstanding fires, explosions or water leaks, and any disruption of power or cooling equipment, he said.
More companies are making Las Vegas their primary data center because of the region’s low risk for natural disasters and its arid climate, which helps hold down power costs, he said.
“If this blows up, you’re still good,” Vignato said. “You never have to worry about a hurricane. We have a client on the East Coast who went to their data center after (Hurricane) Sandy and they were two feet under water.”
Many of ViaWest’s customers specifically asked to be part of the Lone Mountain data center, which is Energy Star and Green Globe certified, he said. Customers are coming from California, where they’re paying 12 cents to 16 cents per kilowatt hour to Las Vegas, where the cost is about 8 cents per kilowatt hour, cutting their power usage costs in half, Vignato said.
“A lot of California businesses want to get out of California. They don’t want to be on the fault line,” he said. “It’s the return on investment driving them here.”
Anchor tenants include Utah-based Progrexion, a consumer-credit market lead-generation provider, which expanded its colocation footprint at Lone Mountain. Other customers include health care, marketing, technology, telecommunications and cloud-based services.
Cloud computing uses computer hardware and software to deliver a service over a network such as the Internet. End users access applications through a Web browser, laptop or mobile device while the business software and user’s data are stored on servers at a remote location.
Todd Gale, director of engineering and construction, said ViaWest looked at several potential locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The choice came down to a few key criteria, including the size and shape of the building to optimize the space being sold.
“We wanted a new building in a good location and we wanted it to have curb appeal,” Gale said. “That translates into security attributes. It’s a concrete building, very stout, so it’s survivable in natural disasters.”
More than $10 million was spent building the mezzanine level with office space, raising the floor 3 feet and installing a sophisticated cooling and power system, he said.
ViaWest will have about 30 employees at its Lone Mountain data center and plans to expand in two phases, the first at 35,000 square feet and then another 40,000 square feet, Gale said. Customers will take anywhere from 25 square feet to 20,000 square feet for the equipment, which is protected in steel cages.
Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.
