The Planet Buys Dallas Site for Colocation

The Planet is expanding its data center infrastructure and plans to use the extra space to offer colocation services. The company has reportedly leased  86,000 square feet of space in Plano, Texas and plans to invest up to $50 million to convert the site into a data center.

The Dallas Business Journal says the Houston-based company has leased space formerly occupied by Alcatel-Lucent at 1700 Summit Ave.in Plano, a suburb of Dallas. The 157,800 square foot building was built in 1996 and has 28-foot ceilings.

The Planet recently arranged a $45 million credit facility with Bank of America to fund additional expansion. The company, which offers dedicated  servers and managed hosting, will use the Plano facility for colo space, according to CEO Doug Erwin.

 "We have a long and successful track record in providing colocation services, and continue to receive significant interest from customers looking either to expand their core IT infrastructure or to supplement their operations," Erwin told the Web Host Industry Review, noting that the Dallas market is one the nation's busiest colocation markets. "With the current shortage of colocation space that offers robust power density, we expect substantial interest in our new highly efficient facilities."

Erwin told The WHIR that the facility's first phase will be 12,000 square feet, providing space for 9,000 servers, and will open in May 2009.