BendBroadband, a family-owned, Oregon-based company serving Central Oregon since 1955, plans to construct and operate a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-certified private data center in NE Bend. The facility, which will be known as BendBroadband Vault, will offer enterprise-class collocation services utilizing an extensive, privately-managed fiber network and energy-efficient power systems.
A staff of engineering experts will provide professional services to customers needing network, server and storage design, business continuity/disaster recovery, product selection, virtualization, and cloud computing infrastructure.
BendBroadband Vault will occupy an existing warehouse in the Basalt Business Park at 20845 Sockeye Place, located in the recently announced Enterprise Zone designated by the State of Oregon. Retrofitting of the facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
Designed as a Tier 3, SAS 70 Type II-certified and HIPAA-compliant facility, BendBroadband Vault will provide the level of reliability and security that is critical to successful data center operations.
The 30,000 square foot facility will be built out in three phases and designed to meet the stringent data storage and security needs for the healthcare industry as well as the financial, manufacturing and hospitality sectors, among others. St. Charles Health Systems will be an anchor tenant in the new facility.
“The creation of this data center represents a real step forward for the St. Charles Health System and for BendBroadband,” said Bill Winnenberg, chief information officer at St. Charles. “This is a key local partnership that establishes a foundation for the future of health care and technology in the region. Not only are we pleased to be working with BendBroadband on this project, but we like that we are able to keep our money in the community.”
Winnenberg also noted that the establishment of this industry-leading data center will add capacity for the health system and it will effectively reduce costs for the organization.
BendBroadband will house key elements of its own data network at the Vault, including the Network Operating Center (NOC), which is the heart of the company’s high-speed Internet service for business and residential customers in the region.
BendBroadband Vault will leverage the high desert climate to create an energy-efficient data center facility where cool nights yield inexpensive cooling and sunny days provide solar energy. In addition to the favorable climate, Bend is geologically appealing due to the relative lack or threat of natural disasters.
“BendBroadband operates the most extensive fiber transport network in Central Oregon,” said Sean Handley, BendBroadband’s director of business sales. “The addition of BendBroadband Vault, as an environmentally-friendly data center, will address an important need in the Northwest as companies seek out facilities that meet stringent regulations, are LEED-certified and located in easily accessible, stable areas. BendBroadband Vault will reinforce and complement BendBroadband’s existing data infrastructure. Along with the creation of new jobs in our region, BendBroadband Vault will provide enterprise-class data center services for both disaster recovery and primary site needs.”
BendBroadband Vault will be staffed 24/7 by experienced engineering professionals with certifications from Cisco, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and other key technology leaders. The facility will include redundant power systems and be one of the first data centers in North America to be cooled by the Kyoto ultra-efficient green cooling system. BendBroadband Vault will utilize a solar PV grid-tied system.
Construction services will be provided by local contractors and firms. Upon completion, BendBroadband Vault is expecting to add at least five new full time jobs at the facility.
“Our region is known for its amazing recreational opportunities and a terrific quality of life,” said Roger Lee, executive director of Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO). “With the addition of BendBroadband Vault to our technology landscape, we can continue to recruit new technology-dependant businesses to Central Oregon while also providing a compelling list of reasons to retain and create growth opportunities for our existing local businesses. Importantly, we will also attract revenue from companies outside of our region looking to host their systems in this state-of-the-art data center.”
