Strategic Directions Invited to Join International Data Center Think Tank
Wednesday 7th April 2010
Strategic Directions is the first Australian company to be invited to join the internationally recognised Think Tank.
The Data Center Institute (DCI) was formed in 2001 by AFCOM with a charter is “to provide leadership and direction for the global Data Center industry.” The invitation to join the DCI followed AFCOM CEO Jill Eckhaus and AFCOM Founder Leonard Eckhaus’ first visit to Australia last year – and Strategic Directions Technical Director Mike Andrea’s presentation at AFCOM’s International Data Centre Forum in Nashville, Tennessee, USA in early March. Mr. Andrea’s case study highlighted the modular design and operational delivery of the $220 Million Polaris Data Center, Australia’s only purpose built free standing Data Center - a Joint Venture by the Springfield Land Corporation and Suncorp, located at Greater Springfield near Brisbane. The POLARIS Data Center is one of only 5 data centers selected recently by the Federal Government, to provide interim Data Center space to major Government Agencies.
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) this month gave Greater Springfield its National Award for the best Planned Community in Australia. The Springfield Land Corporation also took out the UDIA National Presidents Award. Strategic Directions is the ICT Master Planner for the Greater Springfield project which includes the Polaris Data Center. During her tour of the facility last year, Ms Eckhaus commented, “I believe that when it comes to data centre design Australia has a lot to teach the rest of the world.”
DCI Board members, all leading data center industry experts, include AFCOM's CEO Jill Eckhaus & Founder Leonard Eckhaus; APC's CTO James Simonelli; Bick Group's EVP Tad Davies; CA's Product Management Advisor Sam Somashekar; Connectivity Technologies Inc.'s President Tim Hazzard; Fujifilm's VP of Marketing Rick Gadomski; Intel's DC Architect John Musilli; NORTEL's Global Data Center Manager Paul Greenley; NER Data Products' SVP Scott Steele; and Siemens' Head of Commercial Real Estate & Data Center Initiatives Maureen Versen. Founded thirty years ago this year, AFCOM members today include most of the Fortune 500 Companies, plus many Government Agencies and NGOs throughout North America. AFCOM has just announced it is expanding into Australia and Asia Pacific with local chapters in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
The next industry position paper to be released by the Data Center Institute concerns Cloud Computing and will be issued later this month.