CAPRE’s Data Center Round Up For November 22, 2019

Check out the latest in deals, development and disruptive technology in the data center industry for November 22, 2019:

Bluebird Announces Its Midwest Data Center Expansion: Bluebird Network, a Midwest telecommunications company, is excited to announce a major expansion of its Bluebird Underground Data Center in Springfield, Missouri. This expansion is to serve the rapidly growing enterprise and cloud service customer base. Over 11,500 square feet of additional white space is being added, increasing the data center to over 29,000 square feet of white space. In addition, significant mechanical, electrical and generation capabilities are included, bringing the 85-ft-deep underground data center to full Tier 3 capabilities. This effort is part of Bluebird’s broader ongoing commitment to increase value, reliability, and capabilities for its customers and their needs. Major elements of this expansion include an additional on-site/underground generating capabilities totaling 6MW; a 3^rd

Sponsored
primary metered electrical grid connection; dual UPS systems employing the latest lithium-ion battery technology; full implementation of its Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platform to continuously monitor all operations; 100% diverse critical power path and components from generation to customer power tails; fuel storage capacity by over a factor of 4; and an individual underground concrete building structures to house the UPS, switchgear and paralleling switchgear functions.
Enconnex Acquires Active Energy Solutions Division of Methode Electronics: Enconnex announced today that it has acquired assets of Active Energy Solutions (AES), a division of Methode Electronics, Inc., solidifying the long-term relationship between the two firms. Under an exclusive distribution agreement with AES, Enconnex has been offering the AC6000 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to its customers. Enconnex has established a new manufacturing facility in its Reno, Nev., headquarters and incorporated the product into its integrated data center solutions. The AC6000 is the first line-interactive UPS that both protects IT equipment from power outages and supplements the electrical grid during periods of peak energy consumption with its peak shave technology. Its industrial-grade lithium-ion battery pack supplies up to 6kW of power for six full minutes — 330 percent longer than legacy lead-acid batteries. It offers fast recharge to 90 percent in less than one hour, and delivers up to seven years of maintenance-free battery life. It’s up to 75 percent lighter than UPSs that use lead-acid batteries, and has a compact design that takes up just 2U of rack space in the data center.
BCS Introduces CriticalWorks Data Center Operations Tool: BCS, the nation’s only independent single-source data center operations provider, today announced the introduction of BCS CriticalWorks as an extension of its fully integrated critical facility operations approach. CriticalWorks is a software-driven computer maintenance management system (CMMS) designed specifically for mission-critical facilities and environments to improve performance and efficiency. The cloud-based platform is used to schedule, coordinate, standardize and automate critical facility operations and maintenance through a mobile tablet or laptop device. When utilized by BCS facility experts, CriticalWorks enhances operational efficiency and facility performance, reduces business risks, and increases building reliability, resiliency and safety.
Google’s Midlands Data Center to be Powered by Central Electric Power Cooperative: The Central Electric Power Cooperative, a wholesale buyer of electricity which serves 30 percent of the South Carolinian population, will generate enough power to power 30,000 homes in the Midlands region of the Palmetto State, as well as Google’s data center in Berkeley County. Two new solar farms in the Midlands will generate enough power for 30,000 homes in South Carolina and fuel Google’s data center in Berkeley County, the Central Electric Power Cooperative announced Thursday morning. The Orangeburg County solar farms will be up and running by late 2022, and each of the solar farms will produce 75 megawatts of energy. The Post & Courier is reporting that each development will cover 750 acres and be located near the town of Bowman.
ISF Releases Cloud Services Security Framework: The International Security Forum has released the organizations their latest digest, “Using Cloud Services Securely: Harnessing Core Controls”, which provides a comprehensive approach to securing cloud services for organizations that are considering using, or already actively use, one or multiple cloud service providers (CSPs). The cloud environment has become an attractive target for cyber attackers, highlighting the pressing need for organizations to enhance their existing security practices. However, consistently implementing the fundamentals of cloud security can be a complicated task due to the diverse and expanding nature of the cloud environment. Using Cloud Services Securely: Harnessing Core Controls provides organizations with a compelling approach to meeting security obligations in the cloud environment, providing guidance on how to enforce some practical and actionable principles of cloud security governance; deploy and maintain a set of core cloud security controls, with reference to the specific responsibilities of the organization as the cloud customer; and select the right combination of cloud security products and services to support the implementation of the security controls.