Bell Aliant announces $10.5 million expansion for St. John's data centre

HALIFAX, June 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Bell Aliant has increased the capacity of  its St. John's data centre by 10 times with a $10.5 million investment that also improves efficiency, security and reliability, with built-in flexibility to more than double the facility's 400kW capacity to meet future demand.   

"We have invested heavily in data centre infrastructure to answer exploding demand in Newfoundland and Labrador and around the world," said Dan McKeen, Vice Chair and Senior Vice President Residential Services, Bell Aliant. "Customers want to host data efficiently and close by, stored and managed in safe secure facilities and attended by the best ICT experts in the business. Our data centre network is built to meet this need, delivering peace of mind for customers, while keeping and growing business here in Atlantic Canada."

Bell Aliant is the region's leading data centre provider with investments of more than $80 million in the past six years to expand and enhance its data hosting services in the region. As part of Bell's national network of data centres, and backed by 30 years' experience, the St. John's centre delivers value-added enterprise and professional services, including capacity management, disaster recovery planning, security, monitoring, managing and networking services to customers across public and private sectors and regional, national and international markets.

"Data centres are an important element in the growth of Newfoundland and Labrador's ICT sector," said Mandy Woodland, Chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries. "Modern data centres are infrastructure critical to supporting a thriving technology sector in this province, enabling companies to stay here, grow their businesses and compete on a global scale."

With Bell Canada and Q9, Bell Aliant is part of a national network offering customers access to 26 high capacity data centres - more than any other operator in Canada. As a result, customers enjoy unparalleled reach, reliability, capacity and scalability.

The Bell Aliant St. John's data centre is built to withstand the most severe weather and has complete redundancy safeguards on all vital infrastructure components:

• Security: Internal and external video surveillance, controlled access, onsite 24/7 security station.
• Network: The data centre is supported by Bell Aliant's nextgen fibre network – Atlantic Canada's most advanced fibre optic network.
• Capacity and durability: The data centre is built to support the most demanding capacity needs. Reinforced floors easily handle cabinets that hold up to 2,500 pounds (1,134 kg) of hardware and store approximately 1 billion emails.
• Reliability: During commissioning of the facility, independent testing of every system in the building is conducted by installing temporary "load banks" that simulate the full load of energy including heat, electricity and other factors. 
• Scalability: The data centre was built with a view to the robust and growing demand for data hosting facilities. It can more than double its capacity for future needs.

About Bell Aliant

A part of BCE (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company, Halifax-based Bell Aliant provides residential, business and government customers in Atlantic Canada with advanced communications services including FibreOP TV and Internet, Bell Satellite TV, wireless, home phone, data, video and value-added business services. For more information, please visit BellAliant.net.

 

SOURCE Bell Aliant Inc.

Image with caption: "St John's, NL - Data storage cabinets rest on reinforced floors and easily hold up to 2,500 pounds of hardware and store about 1 billion emails. (CNW Group/Bell Aliant Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150602_C4227_PHOTO_EN_17362.jpg

Image with caption: "St John's, NL - The electrical distribution system in Bell Aliant data centre is strategically designed to more than double capacity as demand grows. (CNW Group/Bell Aliant Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150602_C4227_PHOTO_EN_17363.jpg

Image with caption: "St John’s, NL - Bell Aliant data centres are supported by Bell Aliant’s nextgen fibre network - the most reliable and fastest network in the world. (CNW Group/Bell Aliant Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150602_C4227_PHOTO_EN_17367.jpg

Katherine VanBuskirk, Corporate Affairs, Bell Aliant, 902-487-3040