Roundup: Windstream, Rackspace, Savvis, AboveNet

Here’s our review of some of this week’s noteworthy links for the data center industry:

Windstream opens Little Rock data center.  Windstream (WIN) Hosted Solutions announced the opening of its newest data center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The 30,000-square-foot facility was designed to meet the growing demand for cloud-based and dedicated managed services. The Little Rock data center features 2N power distribution, 900 tons of cooling capacity, monitoring and control systems, and a full suite of public, private, and hybrid cloud services. “As more companies realize the benefits of cloud-based services, the demand for data centers that provide enhanced offerings and greater security has skyrocketed,” said Kip Turco, Windstream Hosted Solutions’ senior vice president of data center operations. “We have gone to great lengths to ensure that the services supplied to our business customers through the Little Rock data center are reliable, giving us the ability to provide the most secure and solid service available”.

Savvis selected by Cognizant.  Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, consulting and business process outsourcing services, has selected Savvis cloud and data center services to further expand its capabilities to deliver cloud-based solutions. Cognizant will use a combination of data center services and a private version of Savvis Symphony Virtual Private Data Center (VPDC), an enterprise-class cloud computing solution. "Through this strategic agreement, Cognizant will be able to offer exceptional value to clients by pairing our unmatched enterprise-class cloud services with its own significant and established business solutions," said Bill Fathers, president of Savvis,  a CenturyLink company (CTL). "Cognizant's offering will span processes, systems and infrastructure, delivering business agility and value to its clients. We're excited to work with a best-in-class company like Cognizant on delivering fully integrated, global and market-leading solutions." Cognizant's private-label cloud and data center services will be delivered from Savvis' facilities in Washington, D.C., and London.

AboveNet accesses BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe.  AboveNet (ABVT)  announced its low latency fiber optic network will provide access to the BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe trading platform. By utilizing AboveNet's network, BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe trading participants will benefit from connectivity to all key financial districts in London via the shortest, secure paths. "AboveNet has a well established expertise in providing the financial sector in the U.S. and U.K with secure, fast, Ethernet networks," said Brett Johnson, vice president, Business Development for AboveNet Europe. "We have the diverse international routes in place, and we are looking forward to working with BATS Europe and Chi-X Europe trading participants to meet their high-bandwidth connectivity needs."

Rackspace launches Exchange 2010 solution.  Rackspace Hosting (RAX) announced the launch of its Exchange 2010 Service Pack 2 Enterprise solution, the latest version of its hosted email service for Exchange customers. Citing a need for  companies to outsource their email services to third party providers at a growing rate Rackspace combines the latest version of Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 and a broad feature set with the high level of service and reliability that Rackspace is known for. "Having a dependable email solution that allows employees at every level within the organization to stay connected and productive whether they’re in the office or on the road is essential,” said Kirk Averett, director of product management for Rackspace Email & Apps. “With Exchange 2010, we took time to create a feature rich solution that adheres to Microsoft’s standards, and added a layer of Fanatical Support to deliver a superior email product to our customers.”