Allstate Opens Green Data Center The Rochelle, Ill.-based center, built to meet LEED Gold certification, takes advantage of the city’s high capacity fiber-optics network.
By
Anthony O'Donnell May 29, 2009
Allstate Insurance Co. today opens in Rochelle, Ill., what it characterizes as one of America's most energy-efficient and environmentally conscious data centers.
The new Rochelle data center is targeted to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a press release. Allstate further describes the 65,000-square-foot facility as a secure, world-class hosting center, which the carrier says will support its IT needs and enhance the customer experience.
"As part of Allstate's promise to be there for customers in their time of need, we're dedicated to ensuring high availability of critical technology systems," says Cathy Brune, senior vice president and CIO, Allstate. "Our new data center introduces sophisticated building design and technologies that reflect our company's dedication to environmental responsibility."
The new facility incorporates eco-friendly building design and energy efficiencies, according to Allstate. Among the "green" design elements used at the center are large windows to increase natural light, a light-colored roof that reflects sunlight and reduces cooling costs, recycled building components with low toxicity and the latest in energy-efficient computer servers.
"Data centers, by their very nature, tend to be power-hungry, but our team has worked diligently to create a fundamentally different model that will allow us to significantly reduce our projected energy consumption," Brune comments.
Rochelle, Ill. is a very favorable location for the new data center, as it is one of the few cities in the U.S. to own and operate its own high capacity, local fiber-optics network, according to Allstate. The city also provides its own utilities, including what the carrier calls affordable and reliable electricity. Construction on the Rochelle, Ill. Data Center began in January 2008, making it the first facility to break ground in the city's new 160-acre Business and Technology Park, Allstate reports.
Allstate's says its new facility has enough data storage to hold 15 Libraries of Congress " the equivalent of more than 30 million books.
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