Author: Tony Froelich

Data Center   New Construction 0 comments on Time and Power Availability – 2 Reasons Why Co-Locating in Bryan-College Station Makes Sense

Time and Power Availability – 2 Reasons Why Co-Locating in Bryan-College Station Makes Sense

FIBERTOWN’s Bryan-College Station data center is within driving distance of Texas’s four largest cities. The location of our data center is already an advantage for several reasons. Yet, if you’re considering building an on-premise data center in the Austin area, our Bryan-College Station site may be a better alternative than construction.

Building is Time Consuming AND Expensive

Convenience is one the strongest arguments in a sales pitch for any product, and the same is true when the product is colocation services. Our Bryan-College Station data center has been in operation for 25 years. It’s already built. It’s ready. It’s convenient.

The site is constructed with redundant power and connectivity, and both are concurrently maintainable. In fact, our data center has N+1 redundancy or greater. We’ll always have power due to this infrastructure.

We have generators on site, and they are tested on a schedule to ensure reliability. As for networking, our data center is located on a major fiber interexchange and is carrier neutral.

On-Premise Data Centers…

On-premise data centers need the same infrastructure as in our Bryan-College Station center, otherwise, you’re susceptible to downtimes and system failures. Finding an experienced architect or engineer to draw plans for your structure may take months, plus the time to construct the building. (Our latest research suggests a year or longer to build a data center.)

Furthermore, you must staff your on-premise center. You need knowledgeable people to maintain the day-to-day operations, plus clean and store fuel, perform preventative maintenance on generators and chillers, and provide security to the building 24x7x365.

While time to build and hire is an issue, money is a factor too. You have salaries, retirement packages, and taxes to consider for data center personnel. And currently, it’s about $1,000 more a square foot to build a data center compared to a typical office building. If you factor in the supply chain troubles of late, we’re back to where we started; it’s very time-consuming to build a data center.

Power Grid Limitations in Austin, Texas

With a population influx in Texas over the last two years, power grids have been strained. There’s a continual threat of rolling blackouts in the metropolitan areas. In fact, Austin city officials are not allowing any more data centers to be built on the Austin Energy Grid. This is forcing companies to look for sites outside of Austin, usually east of city.

With Bryan-College Station just 90 miles east of Austin, we’re situated perfectly to be your colocation site. We have power readily available. We have priority fuel too. (Do you? We’re guessing not.) There’s no wait time, and no building permits needed!

(You can get started with our services with a phone call. It’s that easy.)

Bryan-College Station Data Center is Ready for You

The bottom line – FIBERTOWN’s data center in Bryan-College Station is a state-of-the-art colocation site ready to serve you. There’s no wait time to get started with us, unlike the lengthy process of building your own data center and then finding and hiring qualified personnel to maintain it.

Also, building a data center without considering the maintenance is like purchasing an apartment building without considering the upkeep. Colocation services like ours save companies money and stress over the long haul. Every FIBERTOWN customer shares the expenses of maintenance, security, and personnel with the other companies using our data center. You don’t have to go it alone.

And remember, because we’re an established site, we’re not facing the permit issues for power that others are facing in the Austin area. We already have power and multiple sources in fact!

We’d love a chance to tell you more about FIBERTOWN’s colocation services. Start the conversation here.

Data Center   Latest 0 comments on Location, Location, Location – Why Bryan-College Station, Texas is Ideal for Colocation Services

Location, Location, Location – Why Bryan-College Station, Texas is Ideal for Colocation Services

The real estate adage “location, location, location” describes why FIBERTOWN’s Bryan-College Station data center is an ideal site for colocation services. Below, we outline four reasons why your company should consider our data center perfectly situated in the heart of eastern Texas.

Reason 1: Bryan-College Station is Located between Major Cities

FIBERTOWN’s Bryan-College Station data center is located within driving distance of the four biggest cities in Texas. It is about 90 minutes from Houston, two hours from Austin, and three hours from San Antonio and Dallas.

Because we’re near major cities, we’re also located close to major carrier hubs and Internet Carrier Exchanges. For our colocation clients, this proximity means lower latency (i.e., less lag time) and a constant Internet connection. There’s no need to be physically in one of the major cities if you can be there virtually.

Reason 2: Bryan-College Station Provides Safety and Accessibility During Weather Events

Our data center is located outside of the hurricane danger zone, as well as outside of tornado alley. As for accessibility, there are multiple routes from every major city to Bryan-College Station. Take interstates, state roads or, heck, even country roads.

Our proximity to multiple roadways eliminates the “one road in, one road out” scenario. With some prior planning, road construction, ice, downed trees and power lines, and heavy evacuation traffic won’t keep you from getting to our colocation site at Bryan-College Station.

Reason 3: Bryan-College Station is Home to Universities and Diverse Industries (and Less Slowdowns!)

As the home of Texas A&M, Bryan-College Station is rich with research and technology innovations. In fact, Amazon, in conjunction with Texas A&M, will be testing its drone delivery system here.

We’re also home to large healthcare groups and robust manufacturing industries, plus one campus of Blinn College.

Bryan-College Station has become a hub for diverse internet carriers wanting to meet the technology needs of these various entities. For FIBERTOWN customers, this means less slowdowns. 

Reason 4: Bryan-College Station Offers a Small-Town Feel with Big-Town Services

At FIBERTOWN, we want to offer a small-town, personable feel while providing world-class service. A staff member at our Network Operations Center (NOC) is only a phone call away – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For example, if you need help connecting your office in one of the big cities to our data center in Bryan-College Station, call us. A member of our NOC staff will answer the phone or respond to your email. And within a short time, usually 15 minutes or less, you’ll have an answer or help with your issue.

You are not another number to us. We pride ourselves on customer service by real people, staffed in our centers.

With this small-town feel, we provide big-city services, though. We offer anything from our blended bandwidth product to a diverse transport option from our provider partnerships. And if your office is in Houston, you can ride our Point to Point between our two sites and co-locate in each of our data centers! (We have a data center in Houston too.)

FIBERTOWN Invites You to Visit Bryan-College Station.

We’d love to give you a tour of our data center at Bryan-College Station. With its proximity to major and minor highways, it’s accessible. It’s built to withstand high winds, yet located outside of tornado alley and away from the coast to avoid hurricanes. The area is rich in technology and research so it attracts quality internet and power providers. That’s a win-win for our customers.

And on a personal note, come see what life is like without concrete and pavement everywhere! We boast a lower cost of living and are an easy day trip to any major city to relive your big-city life.

Use the contact form here to start a conversation about our Bryan-College Station data center. We’d like to hear from you.
Disaster Recovery   Latest 0 comments on 3 Ways FIBERTOWN Prepares Customers for Possible Blackouts

3 Ways FIBERTOWN Prepares Customers for Possible Blackouts

Due to the scorcher in Texas this summer, people and businesses have faced water and energy restrictions.

Hot temperatures place a strain on the electric grid, and electricity issues, in turn, affect your computer hardware. And when servers are interrupted, business comes to a halt.

In this article, we outline three ways FIBERTOWN helps businesses stay running, even when facing hot temperatures and rolling blackouts.

FIBERTOWN Offers Redundant Power and Cooling

FIBERTOWN is a one-stop shop, a single-source solution. We’re a data center with two locations – Houston and Bryan, Texas. And as a data center, we provide redundant power, cooling, and connectivity. With redundancy, you have a backup plan. And that means your business is not vulnerable when rolling (or unexpected!) blackouts occur.

In July 2022, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (or ERCOT) issued warnings of rolling blackouts expected for many Texans. The power grid was under strain. To prevent rolling blackouts from being necessary, though, the Council first asked citizens to not use large appliances between 2:00 and 9:00 pm and to adjust thermostats to 78 degrees on specified days.

Fortunately, these preventive measures conserved enough energy to make the rolling blackouts unnecessary (for now). But an important question remains –  How would a rolling or unexpected blackout affect your business?

At FIBERTOWN, both data centers are equipped with a concurrently maintainable cooling configuration so the cooling system is always available. As for power, we have concurrently maintainable, redundant power as well, plus generators onsite.

While others are stressed about possible power outages, our customers are not.

Disaster Recovery Means Preparedness for You 

We’re not just a data center. We’re a “disaster recovery and business continuity office space.”

At FIBERTOWN, we provide 100% uptime for business-critical systems, and that means fewer effects on your business in case of a disaster. And whether power outages are planned or are a result of disasters, our disaster recovery (DR) clients have access to a range of options. We can be your primary and secondary site, only secondary site, hot or tape backup and highly available (HA) failover. Plus, we have office space ready for your team to work if your location is without electricity.

Staying Connected

Another major concern with blackouts is network connectivity. Relying on only one provider to keep you connected may result in you being down during maintenance or an outage. FIBERTOWN offers our blended bandwidth.

This way, no matter what’s occurring with one or two carriers, you’re still connected. Furthermore, our multiple carriers enter our building via numerous points of entry. It’s redundancy on top of redundancy. And that’s the FIBERTOWN way.

FIBERTOWN Can Help

We want you cool-headed during blackouts and/or disasters. With our redundant systems, we ensure power, cooling, and connectivity for our clients. And this means business as usual for you…no matter the temperatures outside.

We’d love to tell you more about our services at FIBERTOWN. Complete this form to start the conversation.
Data Center   Disaster Recovery   Feature 0 comments on Why A Dedicated Office Space – As a Second Location – Is Critical

Why A Dedicated Office Space – As a Second Location – Is Critical

At FIBERTOWN, we’re known for our colocation services, and we’re proud of that. But, we also offer dedicated office spaces for businesses, and that makes us different from our competitors.

Below are reasons why you should consider a dedicated office and how FIBERTOWN helps you keep running, no matter what.

What is a Dedicated Office Space?

A dedicated office space is a second location for conducting business away for your main building or away from home (if you’re a remote-first company).

Also note, when we write “dedicated,” we mean office areas set aside – devoted, committed, reserved – for your business when you need it. Some data centers offer workspace, but the areas are first come, first serve. There’s no guarantee you’ll have a work area when needed.

At FIBERTOWN, though, we provide a dedicated office space…just for your company.

Direct Connection

So, why should you consider a dedicated office space inside a data center? A major reason is for a direct connection to your servers and other hardware. This access means lower latency, offering almost real-time access to your data.

Also, if you have large projects using your on-site equipment, no need to work on the floor. You work in your office at FIBERTOWN. And that’s much more comfortable!

Ready with Generators at FIBERTOWN

We’ve got your back. As in…backup generators.

A major plus for a dedicated office space inside a data center is for the backup systems already in place. Unlike most work spaces, we’ve already considered and PLANNED FOR a loss of electricity. (We offer 100% SLA uptime to our data center customers so power supply is crucial to our business.)

We can ensure full power for at least 24 hours for the whole facility. You’ll stay connected no matter what’s happening with the electrical grid.

Office Space During a Transition

The one constant in life is change. So, there’s a good chance that your company will change office buildings at least once in its lifespan. And when that change occurs, consider FIBERTOWN’s dedicated office space.

Our office space is ideal for leasing while you wait for your new building to be built or for the old one to be renovated. Or, perhaps you’re downsizing due to more work-from-home employees. Our office space is perfect for downsizing or working through a transition.

We offer both short-term and long-term leasing options.

Tape Storage Solution at FIBERTOWN

We love the Cloud like the next person! Heck, we offer Megaport so our colocation clients can access multiple cloud services with a single-entry point.

The Cloud is excellent for storing and accessing data 1-3 years old. But magnetic tapes are great long-term storage options. This is especially true for “cold” data that doesn’t need to be accessed often but, due to industry specific retention rules, is required to be saved. In fact, tapes can store large amounts of data for 30 years or more if cared for properly.

Rest assured, our buildings have security 24x7x365 and are temperature controlled, making our dedicated office space a perfect place for tape storage.

Disaster Recovery

As a data center, our goal is to keep our clients’ servers and hardware up and running 100% of the time. Therefore, we have many systems in place to do this. To name a few – concurrent and redundant power, access to emergency fuel supply, fire monitoring, and backup generators on site.

To speak frankly, ordinary workspaces and office buildings are NOT designed like ours. Our buildings were created to withstand disasters. (Read more here about the specialized engineering required for our buildings.)

Your dedicated office space inside one of our two locations – Bryan, Texas and Houston, Texas – allows your employees to relocate during a disaster and keep business going.

Dedicated Office Space at FIBERTOWN

We offer office space for 2 to 200 people. We’re not just an office building; we’re a data center with offices to rent. That’s a big difference!

That means, we always have…security, personnel on staff, power, and internet connectivity. Normal office buildings cannot boast those things!

In fact, Brazos Valley Community Operations Center (CEOC) calls us its second home. Brazos CEOC is a multi-jurisdictional, emergency management organization that leases dedicated office space at FIBERTOWN. During COVID, Winter Storm Uri, and hurricanes, dozens of personnel relocated to FIBERTOWN and continued the important work of saving lives and sending resources. We’re proud of their work!

And we have room for more great organizations and businesses like yours.

Reach out if you want to talk with us about colocation services. We’d love to speak with you. Use this form to start the conversation.