Navajo Community to Develop Data Center

NOVA Corporation, an information technology company owned by the Navajo Nation, has announced plans to build a 50,000  square foot data center and office building in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The facility will be a "greenfield" project, starting from scratch on barren land at Albuquerque’s Mesa del Sol development. The project will feature a 25,000 square foot data center and 25,000 square feet of multi-use space for  hands-on training, and business incubation of Navajo students, employees, and entrepreneurs.

“We are thrilled to offer a place where Navajo people can learn about information technology through hands-on experience” said John Snider, president and chief executive officer of NOVA Corporation.  “NOVA Corporation believes in giving back to the Navajo people by improving their quality of life through education programs and increasing job opportunities.  The data center and business incubator will give us more ways to train Native Americans and help develop the skills needed to thrive in life and business.”

Geography, DR Factors in Site Selection
The data center will be used for colocation, disaster recovery, and cloud-based initiatives.  “After looking at several different sites, NOVA Corporation determined that New Mexico was the best place for the data center due a number of factors including its geographic location” said Snider.  “Geographically, Albuquerque provides a stable location without serious risk of natural disasters, ability to utilize ambient air cooling, and reduced risk of targeted threat to the area.  It is also located near the Navajo Nation which will allow us to generate jobs and incubate businesses for the Navajo people.”

NOVA Corporation and Mesa del Sol finalized the land deal on June 1.  The company expects to break ground on the new center between six and 12 months.

Founded in 2004, NOVA Corporation is the first tribal owned 8(a) company of the Navajo Nation and is affiliated with the Diné Development Corporation (DDC).  The company specializes in ITIL Business Process Improvement, SharePoint knowledge and collaboration environments, and network enterprise services.  NOVA Corporation’s customers include state and federal government offices, the Department of Defense, and commercial companies.  The company has offices on the Navajo Nation reservation in Window Rock, Ariz., and in Albuquerque, N.M. and Chambersburg, Pa.