– Dan McGrath, president of NewAge Data Center Solutions, LLC (

http://www.newagedcs.com/), says:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is soon to be host to a best-practices model that for many years has been an option only for huge metropolitan cities. They are called Multi-Tenant Data Centers (MTDC) and they are for many the solution for meeting the needs of an economy increasingly dependent on huge datasets, managed and “cloud” services and the growth of “big data”, an information source for companies that takes tremendous power to “mine”.


There are a number of key components that a multi-tenant DC must have. These features are a great part of the value these facilities offer their tenants. Not the least of these is the size, scope, level of security, number of tenant comfort and use features, and finally Tier III+ power and network access. The later has an emphasis on redundancy, stability, and in the case of access, a wide array of robust carriers facilitated so that connection to them is easy and cost effectively managed.


The Data Holdings, LLC facility now under construction in Milwaukee is being design utilizing these critical components. This will be the first facility in the southeastern Wisconsin area of this scale and its close proximity to Illinois will make it attractive to Chicago and other Northern Illinois based businesses.

The Data Holding’s facility will  differ from hosting or colocation services currently available in the area, because the tenants place their own equipment in the facility and operate the data center IT portion themselves. Clients no longer have to concern themselves with running the facility, as it is managed by Data Holdings expert staff.


The location was selected based on its relative low risk from potential external incidents;  considerations include the proximity to airport flight paths, major highways, active rail spurs, flood plains, lakes or rivers, utility substations, and hazardous businesses. As these “mega data centers” become increasingly the “malls” within which the world’s commerce is conducted, security from even natural disasters becomes a critical matter.


It will also be LEED certified and include a high efficiency chilled water system to provide tenants with year-round free-cooling when ambient conditions are suitable and a blended “power usage effectiveness” of 1.32 PUE. 1 PUE = 100% usage effectiveness and is the standard for Tier lll data centers.


Data Holdings will also have a 2N electrical system configuration, providing fully redundant power sources from the utility substation to each IT equipment cabinet. Electrical utility rates have been negotiated that are lower than any in the region, allowing tenants to benefit from the facility’s “economies of scale”.


The Milwaukee facility’s design also features a “Meet-Me Room” (MMR) that will allow telecommunications companies to physically connect to one another and exchange data without incurring local loop fees from the ILEC. The MMR is the heart of the facilities “carrier neutrality” and allows for a broad selection of providers, giving tenants far greater flexibility to control both carrier costs, redundancy and access.


Just the physical presence of such a large number of fiber based carriers, wireless providers and content/IP service companies provides the facility’s enterprise tenants with multiple connectivity solutions.


The Data Holdings structure itself is huge with plans for future expansion already on the table. The facility’s multi-tenant configuration will deliver dedicated data center suites starting at 1,500 SF plus secured IT staging and storage with single tenant configurations capable of accommodating a 22,000 SF user. All providing future tenants with more than enough flexibility to adjust rapidly when necessary to meet new demand.


Finally the Data Holdings facility will be secured, manned, monitored, and operated 7 x 24 x 365 by experienced data center facilities experts. Most corporate facilities departments are often challenged by the unique needs of a DC, and IT personnel are also not equipped to manage facilities. This provides the perfect solution to an age old dilemma.


There are however four key benefits that Wisconsin businesses and those in nearby states will get now that the Data Holdings facility is becoming available.


  • ·         There is no capital investment in the facility itself, eliminating CapEx concerns.
  • ·         It creates for the tenant long-term operating cost stability.
  • ·         Custom, flexible power and space configurations address planned and unplanned growth.
  • ·         Multi-tenant space, as opposed to building a data center, eliminates facility obsolescence.


One thing is for certain. Now that virtually all companies are face with a “data-deluge” that most are unprepared for, facilities like the one being built in Milwaukee offer a powerful new option for businesses seeking to grow in the new data age.