Global companies, no matter the industry, are becoming more focused on data to drive their business. This operating approach, combined with the increase in amount of actual data being generated worldwide has created a greater demand for support services – from data management to storage. And research has shown that there is a growing trend among multinational companies to look beyond their home market for more efficient IT solutions. However, because information technology is the backbone of any business, from large technology giants like Google to smaller start-ups, these offshore sites must be of high quality and reliability. The data needs to be seamlessly accessible and safe.
A Tier III data centre is recognized as an exceptionally reliable and safe solution that awards a company limited operational downtime (99.9% to be exact) and offers a great amount of business efficiency. If you’re a big multinational company and considering outsourcing your IT services, you’re likely looking for a Tier III data centre service provider, such as that being built at Tamana InTech Park in Trinidad and Tobago.
As a home for technology -based and knowledge-based firms in the non-energy sector, Tamana Intech Park boasts a modern and sophisticated physical infrastructure, with underground utilities, corridors, first-class road networks, and critically, a world class ICT infrastructure, including one of the Caribbean’s only certified Tier 3 Data Centre.
According to Bernard Mitchell, Chief Implementation Officer, for the Operationalisation of Tamana InTech Park at Evolving Tecknologies Enterprise Development Company Limited (e TecK), the company responsible for the construction and operation of Tamana InTech Park, “we are finding that multinational companies, in particular, understand the importance and impact of data security to business operations. Many are looking for that piece of mind, that confidence in knowing their data is accessible on demand, and quickly recoverable after damage caused by human error, hard drive failure, even natural disaster.” On the growing trend to have offsite and off-island data storage, Mr. Mitchell contends that its just good business sense. “Tamana InTech Park’s Tier III Data Centre is definitely a key component in any firm’s strategy to reduce their business risk.” he said.
So what do you look for when considering a data centre? Here are five tips to get you started.
1. Building Infrastructure – a physical location that is sturdy and secure enough to withstand natural weather changes and major disasters, including earthquakes.
2. Access to Power – reliable and cost-effective access to power, which would include commercial power via utility companies as well as back-up power in the form of generators.
3. Ability to Utilize Power from Multiple Sources – companies are not only looking for multiple sources of power, but they want the assurance that the infrastructure within the data centre is sophisticated-enough to handle these multiple sources in a seamless manner that does not impact or interrupt operations.
4. Air Conditioning – reliable control of the internal physical environment of the data centre, which would protect the servers and equipment and ensure they are running at their optimum levels.
5. Security – both physical and electronic security in the building and its immediate environment and for their data (e.g. the technology park in which it is located).
For companies seeking such sophisticated data centre capabilities, there is a destination in the Caribbean they will soon be able to rely upon – Trinidad and Tobago’s Tamana InTech Park. Comparable to Central Florida Research Park in Orlando, Fla., and University of Chile Tech Park in Santiago, Tamana InTech Park will be home to a wide spectrum of high-tech business activities, including downstream energy, high-value manufacturing, agro-technology, animation and green technologies – just to name a few. The Park is planned to be built over 1,100 acres with 30 percent of this devoted to green space, making it an eco-friendly destination for international companies.
“Tamana Intech Park’s ICT infrastructure, inclusive of the Tier 3 Data Centre will be key enablers for users of the Park by providing managed services that range from basic voice services to data services to hosting for storage and business continuity. These will be provided at attractive rates, not simply to allow the park to be competitive relative to other parks, but more importantly to allow the users to focus on their core businesses without being overly concerned about this cost,” said Mitchell.
‘Wired to the Max’ is the term many working on the Tamana InTech Park project use to describe the extent of the underground fibre optic cabling at the Park. Using state-of-the-art technology, like multi-protocol label switching (MPLS)-a very high capacity backbone network- and the metro Ethernet, Tamana InTech Park the park will offer, among other things, a scalable IT platform with 12 fibres to every building. This Mr. Mitchell assures will facilitate an enhanced level of redundancy and by extension service availability and performance to the parks tenants.
Scheduled for soft opening in late 2010, Tamana InTech Park features many of the qualities and characteristics sought after by multinationals including competitive labor, attractive energy rates and an eco-friendly location that is outside the hurricane belt. Mr. Mitchell contends, “Trinidad & Tobago offers companies competitive energy rates, a highly-skilled technology labor pool, and an ideal geographic location in the Americas that, combined, make the nation a prime destination for technological investments.”
Already home to such international businesses as Cisco, Tata, McAfee and Microsoft, Trinidad & Tobago’s technology community is ripe and positioned for growth. The ICT industry currently represents less than 3 percent of the nation’s GDP and plans have been established to realize significant growth in this sector in the short term. This represents an excellent opportunity for any forward-thinking ICT company to enter a burgeoning sector and become a major player in shaping the technology landscape in Trinidad and Tobago.
