NextDC's Sydney datacentre at 27% capacity
NextDC last night threw open the highly-secure doors on its brand new Tier III datacentre in Sydney's Macquarie Park in an event attended by hundreds in the IT industry, and launched by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Following the launch of the Brisbane and Melbourne datacentres in 2011, and 2012, respectively, NextDC last night opened its Sydney datacentre, a 5,600 square-metre facility that will have capacity for up to 2,800 racks.
The company had already had 27 percent uptake even before opening the facility, with more than 50 companies signing up as foundation partners, CEO Craig Scroggie said, and the company had begun work on the next phase of construction at the facility.
"S1 has had its construction schedule advanced to take advantage of the high level of demand and the next 25 percent of the facility is already under development," he said.
The facility has a multi-layered security identity system using fingerprint recognition and scales to weigh people entering and exiting the datacentre. There are also 135 security cameras installed across the site.
Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull cuts the ribbon on the facility with NextDC CEO Craig Scroggie and NextDC Chairman Ted Pretty
Malcolm Turnbull chairs what ZDNet suspects is the first board meeting of the new NBN Co.
On a more serious note, the boardroom is made available with teleconferencing equipment for NextDC customers inside the datacentre
Massage chairs are available in the break room, along with a snack machine and a vending machine that has all the tools a customer will need in a datacentre.
Monitoring panel for the two data halls.
One of the two datahalls. Customers can access their racks either at the facility or through the NextDC app remotely.
Malcolm Turnbull looking at things dot tumblr dot com.
One of the motor rooms in the facility.
While the big red NBN button has been retired, the red big switch could be the new launch prop of choice.
Turnbull joked to Scroggie that if the datacentre business fails, he may have an alternate career in the making.
"I'm still awe-struck by the magnificence of this building, the extraordinary equipment that you've installed and above all by the striking colour scheme. I mean really if you fail in this venture — which of course you won't — you have a huge career in terms of corporate styling and decoration ahead of you," he said.
"This must be the most striking datacentre I've ever seen. It is an amazing landmark."