Top 5 Data Center Stories, Week of June 18th

Huge Solar Array Will Support NJ Data Center - The McGraw-Hill Companies will build a 50-acre solar array to support its data center in East Windsor, New Jersey, the company said today. The $60 million project will add 14.1 megawatts of solar generation, making it one of the largest initiatives yet to use photovoltaic solar power to offset the energy used by a data center.

Federal CIO Kundra Leaving for Harvard - Federal CIO Vivek Kundra, who has spearheaded the Obama administration’s effort to consolidate data centers and shift to a cloud delivery model, is leaving his post to accept a fellowship at Harvard University, the White House said this week.

Roundup: Executive Shakeup at HP - HP announced a series of management changes on Monday, with some executives changing roles and others departing. Long-time HP exec Ann Livermore, who ran the HP Enterprise Business, will move to the company’s board.

Calxeda Primes Pump for ARM Server Adoption - The first ARM-based low-energy servers from Calxeda won’t be available until later this year. But today Calxeda will announce that it is providing early access to its technology to key players in cloud computing and data analytics. Calxeda uses chips optimized for cell phones to make low-power servers that can slash the energy costs for data center operators.

Opscode Eyes Enterprise Clouds with Private Chef - Effective automation is a critical step in making cloud computing work. One of the leading players in the cloud automation sector, Opscode, has made a series of announcements today that highlight the growth of the company and expand its services to the private cloud market.