Top 5 Data Center Stories, Week of Sept. 3

Rackspace Adds Space to House its Growing Cloud - Rackspace Hosting continues to gobble up data center space to house its fast-growing cloud computing operation. Rackspace will expand its Chicago-area data center, adding 22,500 square feet of raised-floor space to house its servers, with an option to add even more space if its growth continues. Last week Rackspace amended its lease to take additional space in a data center in Elk Grove Village, Ill. operated by DuPont Fabros Technology.

Major Data Centers Weather Hurricane Irene - Key East Coast data centers say they weathered Hurricane Irene without any loss of services to customers. In some cases, facilities are operating on generator power after utility outages, while other data centers had to plug minor leaks. Despite the challenges, the data center industry appears to have upheld its mission – keeping customer servers online through any eventuality. The storm’s impact was felt all the way up the Atlantic coast, including data center hubs in Virginia and northern New Jersey.

Brocade Offers Subscription Plans for Network Gear - Seeking to capitalize on interest in the usage-based pricing models seen in cloud computing, Brocade today introduced a subscription-based option for acquiring network infrastructure equipment. The Brocade Network Subscription offers a new way for its customers to procure network capacity, allowing them to shift hardware costs from up-front capital expenditures to the operating budget.

CoreLink Targets SMBs in Growing Markets - The biggest opportunities in the data center business have traditionally been in the largest Internet markets – places like Silicon Valley, northern Virginia and Manhattan and its suburbs. But some players in the data center industry are finding opportunities in other emerging markets. One example is CoreLink Data Centers, a four-year old company that has focused on acquiring and upgrading existing facilities.

An Underground Data Center Beneath Chicago? - The operators of an underground parking garage in Chicago are investigating whether to convert part of the facility into a data center. Chicago Loop Parking, which owns a 9,000 space parking facility under Grant Park, has approached local officials about the idea.