Cheap Power and Secure Facilities to Bring Data Centers to Arkansas March 20, 2008 When asked to name likely locations for a new data center facility, few IT executives would put Arkansas at the top of the list. However, as the power requirements for data centers rise, the cost per Kilowatt becomes an increasingly important factor in determining where to locate them. A new power generation plant in Arkansas that services a new IT-focused development project, the Arkansas Digital Repository (ADR), suddenly makes this region an attractive option. Of course it takes more than cheap power to make an area capable of supporting data center operations. A site location must address all concerns: The location must be in a low-risk zone for both natural and man-made disasters. This includes hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wild fires, train wrecks, chemical spills and terrorist attacks. The ADR sites are in low-risk areas for all of these threats. Every data center needs a staff to maintain operations. The local college, Southern Arkansas University, has an excellent computer science program that produces qualified IT professionals. Without adequate bandwidth to link to other data centers and remote offices, a secure location is useless. The Southern Arkansas University campus is the hub for all Internet service in the region, so broadband service is plentiful and economical.  Construction costs and cost of living also factor into a data center’s TCO. Arkansas boasts a distinct cost advantage in both categories when compared to the rest of the US. This project even has the support of the state government through their economic development program. Realizing the need to improve their standing in the new IT-oriented economy, the governor has implemented an aggressive economic development program with incentives to bring high technology jobs and infrastructure to Arkansas. Supplying the cheap power is a 2,200 Megawatt generation plant, on a natural gas pipeline supplied by local gas reserves. This new Entegra Power facility uses the latest power generation technology to produce electricity cleanly and efficiently. Aside from the cost savings, this is a benefit to any organization with a Green initiative. The ADR is located at the intersection of three regional power grids, so redundancy in power suppliers is another advantage.  Three "cyber parks" are under development that are roughly 50 miles from each other in a triangular arrangement. These cyber parks, known locally as the Golden Triangle, are also unique in that they offer unparalleled fire protection with Firelock Server Vaults as part of the facility infrastructure. According to Hugh Smith, Vice President of Firelock, "The unsurpassed data protection capabilities of our fireproof vaults makes the ADR facilities the most secure in the region." Long term plans include 25 individual buildings or "pods" at each of the three cyber parks, all equipped with Firelock’s Class 125 fireproof vaults to protect mission critical IT infrastructure. Some of these pods will be used for storing backup media and providing workspace for disaster recovery functions. To introduce the Arkansas Digital Repository to the general public the Arkansas Information Technology Symposium has been organized by IFSA Data Storage, Inc., one of the principals in the project. This symposium held at Southern Arkansas University on March 14, 2008 features Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe as the keynote speaker. The governor will be joined by representatives from various telecom and IT companies such as AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Thompson Coburn LLP, Naremco, and Firelock to discuss IT developments in Arkansas and in the industries themselves. An Arkansas broadband panel discussion will also be held during the symposium. When selecting a site for a new data center, conscientious IT executives have many issues to address. It is difficult to find a single location that meets all criteria: affordable power, secure location, qualified local IT professionals and abundant broadband service. Low cost of living, environmentally-friendly power generation and incentives from the state government are even harder to find. By offering all of these advantages the new ADR project in Arkansas gives IT executives a very attractive option to consider. For more information on the Arkansas Digital Repository, contact: Doug Hinds, Chief of Operations IFSA Data Storage, Inc. 870-234-9928 http://www.ifsadatastorage.com