Data Backup Digest

Iron Mountain already maintains a massive presence in the world of data storage. With underground facilities that are literally built within an abandoned limestone mine in the state of Pennsylvania, they're one of the most reliable and unique companies in the entire IT industry. They've become so popular over recent years that have recently announced plans to expand their massive data warehouse with an additional 11 acres of floor space.

When it's all said and done, Iron Mountain's flagship facility will boast 211 acres of underground space that is filled with large-scale servers and the supporting IT infrastructure. It was first converted into a digital data warehouse around the turn of the 21st century, when it was still being used to store physical documents and media.

As such, Iron Mountain hopes to serve as a role model to inspire change amongst companies that are still relying on paper-based records and outdated database systems. While recent studies indicate that 95 percent of all companies in the U.S. are currently utilizing the cloud in some way or another, most of that usage is extremely limited.

Mark Kidd, general manager of data centers and senior vice president with Iron Mountain, explained how companies come to embrace cloud technology over a more traditional way of doing business. He was quoted as saying: "The cloud decision kind of breaks the mindset of the IT department. As they think, 'Maybe we can send these applications to the cloud,' in that same breath, they think, 'Why are we updating a 30-year-old data center again, with a huge amount of capital? Why don't we just outsource this?'"

He added: "Our customers appreciate the reliability gained operating 200 feet below the earth’s surface, sales tax incentives available from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and regulatory and security support that complies with the most exacting Federal and private sector requirements."

The team with Iron Mountain hopes to have the expansion project wrapped up by this coming spring. Having already entered the initial phase of the project, it looks like they are on track to meet that forecast.

However, the expansion at their flagship facility isn't even the only project they're currently working on. Engineers recently converted their Boyers-based data center to 100 percent renewable power and the construction of a brand new data center, located just outside Washington, D.C., is expected to be completed in mid-2017. While they certainly have their hands full, they're well equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to handle the job.

Members of the local government have even expressed their satisfaction with Iron Mountain. Senator Hutchinson was quoted as saying: "For years Iron Mountain’s facility in Boyers has had a major impact on our local economy and it’s encouraging to see the company continue to make significant investments in our community. I look forward to finding new ways that the Commonwealth can partner with Iron Mountain to promote job growth in our region."

For more information about Iron Mountain, or to receive pricing information on their services, please visit their official website at www.ironmountain.com.