TMCnews Featured Article

As it marks 85 years in business, Quebec, Canada-based Telus has opened a new $65 million data center in Rimouski, with plans to invest an additional $13 million in added IT infrastructure to offer cloud-based services to Canadian businesses.

The new facility ranks among the top performing data centers in North America and is designed to provide Telus customers with improved reliability and security, according to François Gratton, president of Telus Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

“Telus and our 5,500 Quebec-based team members are proud to celebrate our 85 years of history in the province with the opening of our new flagship facility. This is another significant investment for Telus in Quebec, building on the $12.3 billion since 2000 that has enabled our presence to be felt in every corner of the province,” Gratton said in a statement.

The new data center will allow Telus customers to implement managed hosting and cloud computing services that are hosted, managed and delivered in Canada, according to Gratton.

“At Telus, our clients are our top priority and our team of professionals is dedicated to helping businesses develop their full potential by offering them all the tools they need to stand out and succeed,” he added. “With our new Internet Data Center, companies can now harness the power of managed hosting and cloud computing solutions that are not only reliable, secure and flexible, but also hosted, managed and delivered in Canada.”

Gratton said the new TELUS (News - Alert) Tier III design-certified center is over 80 percent more energy-efficient than traditional data centers, and is the first Telus Internet data center built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards.

The center, which has a1.15 Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating, was constructed with a modular design, allowing Telus to increase the space and power capacity for technical equipment and tailor its service offerings based on the latest technology.

Telus touted some key features of the TELUS Intelligent Internet Data Center including the following:

• The Telus Intelligent Internet data center is connected to the company’s national IP network and is interconnected with major data centers across the country, representing the most advanced and locally diversified IT infrastructure in Canada.
• Telus chose to build its data center in Rimouski for its appropriate weather climate, allowing more efficient cooling. In fact, Telus anticipates that the Rimouski Center will require only 40 hours per year of cooling via mechanical systems.
• The Intelligent Internet Data Center incorporates innovative, non-traditional solutions, such as a closed-loop cooling system, that provides unparalleled operating efficiency. The first of its kind, this system is 180 times more efficient than that of a traditional cooling plant.
• The Rimouski location chosen by Telus is also highly secure and an excellent option for customers seeking a core site or disaster recovery site, as it is more than 250 kilometers from major urban centers.

Company officials said that costs associated with the construction of the Intelligent Internet Data Center are in line with Telus’ consolidated capital spending targets for 2012.

Want to learn more about cloud computing solutions geared specifically towards small to medium-sized businesses?  Don’t miss the Cloud4SMB Expo, collocated with ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at Cloud4SMB Expo. Follow us on Twitter.