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Switch and Data Introduces New High-Performance Data Center Standards to Support Power and Cooling Needs of Web 2.0

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 November 2007, 09:01 CST

As Web 2.0 companies continue to deploy power-hungry servers to support rich content distribution, Switch and Data (NASDAQ: SDXC), a leading provider of Internet exchange and colocation services, will be ensuring an adequate supply of power and cooling to keep their businesses running. Switch and Data today announced that its new Dallas, New York Metro, San Francisco Bay Area and Toronto sites will be built to supply power and cooling at more than 200 watts of power per square foot. This power density is at or above that supplied by other national neutral colocation providers. In addition, all Switch and Data sites house direct current (DC) power plants and offer the option of DC power.

Web 2.0 refers to web-based communities which facilitate the sharing of content and information between users. These companies, as well as digital media and content providers and companies which provide web-based software applications, require increasing power density and cooling to store and distribute their content. According to a U.S. Government study released in August, the energy consumption of servers and data centers has doubled in the past five years and is expected to almost double again in the next five years.

"Colocation customer demand for power and cooling to run the latest high density computing equipment continues to grow rapidly," said Mario Galvez, Vice President of Product for Switch and Data. "Switch and Data leads the market with a new standard for power density and cooling capacity to give our customers the facilities they need to support their growth well in to the future."

"Power density is the number one issue cited by enterprises and Internet content providers when selecting new data center space," said Dan Golding, Vice President and Research Director at industry analyst firm Tier1Research. "Continued Internet growth of nearly 100% annually, combined with power hungry servers will overwhelm any gains we might see through enhanced energy efficiency or increasing levels of virtualization and are driving data center users to demand power levels in excess of 200 watts per square foot for any new deployments."

Some industries driving this Internet growth include media, entertainment, and online gaming. The high-power servers running the content delivery solutions for these industries are provided by companies such as LimeLight Networks and EdgeCast Networks. These and other web-centric businesses utilize Switch and Data's nationwide footprint of network-neutral facilities to house, power and cool their systems, service their customers and support their future growth.

DC Power is an attractive option for companies who need high-equipment densities to house rich digital content. Research firm IDC reports that DC-powered servers are more efficient than traditional AC designs, reducing server power consumption by nearly a third. Also DC-powered equipment shifts heat load out of servers, generating 20% to 40% less heat in customers' racks or cabinets. Switch and Data has a DC power plant in each of its 34 sites and offers direct DC power to customers.

About Switch and Data

Switch and Data is a leading provider of Internet exchange and colocation services. Based in Tampa, Florida, Switch and Data operates one of the largest footprints of neutral Internet exchange and colocation facilities in North America serving more than 880 customers. Switch and Data's PAIX is recognized worldwide as the premier name in peering and Internet exchange services and is home to one of the largest commercial exchange points in North America. For more information, please visit www.switchanddata.com.

Source: Business Wire

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