New server facility to offer NZ companies safe IT haven

The Waikato Innovation Park and one of its tenants, theCloud Limited, have signed an agreement to develop a purpose-built IT server facility on the campus of the Waikato Innovation Park.

theCloud Limited will operate the facility as a data housing site. It will also provide fault-tolerant server hosting for companies looking for a disaster recovery or backup solution. Construction is set to start later this year.

Bruce Trevarthen, CEO of theCloud Limited, says the company has server facilities in various locations throughout New Zealand. He chose Hamilton as the site for the new server facility because of the city’s low risk profile.

“More so than ever before, companies are looking for a secure location to house their primary and back-up data servers. Not only does Hamilton have a low risk profile when it comes to natural disasters, it’s also in close proximity to a high proportion of New Zealand’s largest companies who are looking for off-site data storage and computing service,” he explains.

theCloud Limited shares its name with the internet term, ‘the cloud,’ which refers to computing services delivered over the internet in real time. Cloud computing drastically reduces the need for companies to invest in expensive IT hardware.

Mr Trevarthen says theCloud Limited “aims to convert our clients’ IT costs from being a capital intensive investment to an operational expense. Building a world-class server facility in Hamilton is a key element that will allow us to deliver our cloud computing services to clients throughout New Zealand."

Waikato Innovation Park CEO, Derek Fairweather, says “a further advantage of locating theCloud Limited’s new server facility at the Waikato Innovation Park is the secure electricity infrastructure available.

“We are in discussions with WEL Networks to install a small scale generation facility onsite to further guarantee continuous supply in the event of an outage to the national grid.

“However, later in the year, WEL will be setting up a direct feed for us to the Transpower substation adjacent to the Park. Once we have the security of a direct feed, an onsite electricity generation facility may not even be necessary.”