The Future of Colocation in Connecticut

What do COVID, cloud repatriation, increasing ransomware attacks, and the growth of AI have in common? They all had an impact on colocation in Connecticut over the past 5 years. As we begin a new year, let us look back at these factors and forecast the future of colocation in Connecticut.

The biggest change to local colocation was brought about by COVID. The pandemic hit the US in early 2020 and soon data centers in Connecticut were affected. The virus forced people to work remotely. Offices were closed or downsized. This accelerated the move to the public cloud.

Initially the pandemic stifled most new colocation projects. Organizations put a hold on any changes as they worked to adapt to the new Work From Home imperative. Within a year, new colocation projects were in the planning stages. Many offices wanted to reduce their footprint to save money. Moving IT systems to a data center such as CAPS’ facility in Shelton could help. Some clients employed colocation to move IT infrastructure from their office. This gave them more flexibility to adapt to changing office requirements.

Cloud Repatriation

Recently cloud repatriation has increased as the actual cost of the public cloud became apparent. Widespread adoption of the cloud led to surging costs for many companies. Some of the applications hosted on the cloud were not well suited for that environment. Today the “Cloud First” movement has been supplanted by a more pragmatic approach. The cloud is an appropriate choice for many workloads, but not for everything. Companies have selectively repatriated some workloads they had placed in the cloud and are now hosting these applications at colocation data centers or on-premises.

Though ransomware has been around since 1989, it has grown exponentially in the past 10 years. Cryptocurrencies, introduced in 2009, played a part in facilitating cybercrime. Ransomware-as-a-Service hit the market in 2012, and it also fostered more internet crime. Today ransomware is an increasing problem. Some organizations have moved critical IT backup systems to colocation data centers to increase their ability to survive a ransomware attack.

Data cabinet power density has been increasing for years. Five years ago, the average power consumed per rack was between 5 KW and 10 KW. Today average power consumption per rack is between 10 KW and 20 KW, depending on the application.

AI Everywhere

Since the introduction of CHAT GPT in 2022, the use of AI has been expanding exponentially and with it the need for much more power. Per cabinet power requirements of up to 100 KW are projected in the next few years as large banks of high-powered servers are installed to meet the heavy processing demands of AI applications.

The challenge for Connecticut’s data centers is significant. Our state has some of the highest electric power utility costs in the country. Initiatives to provide sources of lower cost power in the state have not been successful. Though there have been efforts to secure power for data centers directly from the state’s remaining nuclear plant, the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford, these efforts have not been successful to date.

Unless substantial amounts of cost-effective power become available, our state’s data centers are not likely to see much growth from the AI boom. Any large AI projects will be hosted at data centers in other regions where the power costs are much lower.

Connecticut Colocation for Strategic AI Projects

Smaller strategic AI projects may be hosted at local data centers in the future. In these cases, the higher cost of power in Connecticut will not supersede other benefits of colocation in our state. These benefits include locations that are more convenient, reduced latency, and better local control and security.

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Is Connecticut A Ransomware Target?

Ransomware is a growing headache for large and small companies across the U.S. Unfortunately, Connecticut may have a bigger ransomware problem than most of the other states.

Cyber criminals employ different techniques to get what they want. They use business email compromise to steal money. They unleash Distributed Denial of Service attacks to shut down websites. Worst of all, they encrypt data to incapacitate IT systems so they can extort ransomware payments.

Ransomware is especially destructive and costly. It can close hospitals overnight and bankrupt companies in weeks. Last year two hospitals in Connecticut suffered ransomware attacks. Their information technology systems were taken down and soon the hospitals were on life support. Emergency Rooms were shuttered and electronic payment systems frozen.

Highest Rate of Healthcare Breaches

Our state has had the highest incidence of health industry data breaches in the country. A recent survey reported that between 2009 and 2024 there were 115 data breaches impacting some of Connecticut’s 7,680 health care organizations. The rate at which our health care organizations have been breached is 71% higher than the average for other states.

Unfortunately, many of the industries favored by ransomware criminals are prominent in our state. In addition to healthcare, ransomware has also targeted financial institutions, technology companies, law firms, consumer goods companies, Connecticut public school systems, and even small non-profit organizations.

Connecticut’s manufacturing companies are increasingly attracting the attention of ransomware criminals. Since its founding, Connecticut has had a rich tradition in manufacturing. From Eli Whitney (cotton gin) to Samuel Colt (firearms) to Charles Goodyear (vulcanized rubber) the Nutmeg State has provided a favorable environment for innovative manufacturing companies.

More recently large defense contractors such as Electric Boat (submarines), Pratt and Whitney (jet engines) and Sikorsky (helicopters) have based their businesses locally. Hundreds of smaller manufacturers are also located in Connecticut to supply the many parts needed by the bigger defense companies.

Manufacturers Are A Major Target

Manufacturing companies are a major target for ransomware criminals. Many have older production systems that are vulnerable. They were designed without modern cybersecurity protections. Small and mid-sized manufacturers may not have the financial resources needed to replace legacy systems. These companies are also reluctant to interrupt operations to bring a new production system online.

A cyber attack on a manufacturing company can threaten the company’s existence. When the data required by critical production and supply chain systems is encrypted, the company’s ability to produce and ship products is abruptly halted. Small and mid-sized companies can be forced to close after a week or two if the production line is not brought back online quickly. No wonder manufacturers are inclined to pay the ransom. Even a small company might decide it is better to pay a big ransom fee rather than close the shop.

What can be done to mitigate the risk? Connecticut organizations need to consider how big a problem a ransomware attack would be. What would the effect be if data were suddenly encrypted? For IT systems that are critical, a comprehensive backup and recovery plan is needed.

Local Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with cybersecurity expertise can develop plans and procedures to make sure a ransomware attack will not become a disaster that cripples or destroys your business. An important part of a disaster recovery plan includes making and securing copies of the data you cannot afford to lose. Then if you are the victim of a ransomware attack you can recover a clean earlier version of your data to quickly bring your systems back online.

Multiple backup copies of this data should be stored at various locations and on different storage media. Though backup data can be stored in the cloud, risk is further reduced by storing an additional copy at an alternate site such as the CAPS data center in Shelton.

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Is Data Backup to the Cloud Sufficient?

Storing backup copies is one of the best ways to preempt losses from a cyber-attack. After a compromised system has been cleansed, unadulterated backup data can be loaded onto the production system and operations resumed.

Organizations have relied on backups for decades. Many different approaches have been employed. Data copies have been saved to storage devices and/or removable media at the production site, at remote company offices, at third party facilities such as colocation data centers, and in the public cloud.

Other variables associated with data backup include the breadth of the data that is stored and the frequency at which backups are made. One or more files may be copied, or entire disk images can be recorded. Some organizations make backups once a week while others do so every few hours.

Recommended Industry Practice

Different data backup approaches reflect the value organizations assign to their data and how costly they believe a potential breach might be. Recommended industry practice is to follow the 3-2-1 data backup model. This model advocates keeping 3 copies of important data (the original data and two copies), stored on 2 diverse types of media, with 1 copy kept at a different location.

Many organizations do not adhere to recommended data backup practices. They limit their investment in data backup software and systems, leaving themselves exposed to potentially severe and costly disruptions to their business operations. This practice is risky but quite common.

These days most companies make copies of their data to the cloud. Cloud drives such as Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, and Dropbox are popular, inexpensive, and easy-to-use. These services provide automated remote file synchronization and storage. However, they do not offer advanced data backup and restoral functionality. As such, the many organizations that rely on these low-cost services risk not being able to recover all their valuable data if they are breached.

Though data backup is essential to remediation after a cyber-attack, it is not the whole story. Once an attack has been identified, the first step is to restrict further unauthorized system access. Then malware must be removed from those systems that were infected. Finally, clean data is uploaded from backups to the sanitized production systems.

Recovery Versus Restoral

Data recovery is when select clean files are uploaded to the repaired production system. Data restoral is when complete disk images are copied from the backup system to the production system. In some cases, data recovery of a limited number of files may be the most expeditious way to resume operations. In other cases, restoring complete disk images may be required to resume operations effectively.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based application delivery model that is used by most organizations. Whether a company is using Microsoft 365, Salesforce, or any of the thousands of available SaaS applications, data backup from the cloud must be addressed. Though some data is stored by these applications, SaaS subscribers often must supplement the basic storage offered to be sure they are able to retrieve critical data in the future.

Cloud Is Not Enough

Though cloud-based backups are cost-effective, convenient, and easy-to-use it is important for companies, both small and large, to understand the risks they are taking if they adopt a cloud-only backup policy. Supplementing cloud backup with storage of another backup copy at an alternate corporate facility or a colocation data center such as CAPS in Shelton, CT will increase the chances of successfully recovering from ransomware or other cyber-attack.

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Data Center Changes Ahead- We Are Floored!

Data Centers employ a variety of different technologies. As such, colocation professionals must have a broad base of knowledge and must be committed to ongoing learning. Electrical power, air conditioning, computer server technology, networking, virtualization, internet communications, monitoring/alert systems, building security, and cyber security are just some of the subjects.

Artificial Intelligence is the latest topic to be mastered. AI applications will increase performance and productivity in data centers. Client adoption of AI technology will have an even bigger impact on colocation. The custom servers required for AI applications consume much more electric power and generate significantly more heat than the servers used just a few years ago.

AI May Eliminate Raised Floors

To support the requirements of AI systems, technical teams need to revisit power distribution designs and heat management approaches. Surprisingly, the demands of AI might lead to a change in the design of the floors in data centers.

Data Center floor designs have not changed much since the 1960’s when mainframe computers first became popular. Raised floors were a practical solution to problems associated with mainframe installations. Power cables, system cables, and communications cables were much bigger and heavier back then. Raised floors, built from 1 to 6 feet above the base floor, provided plenty of space for bulky power cables and system cables. Even telecom cables for “high bandwidth” 56 Kbps circuits were much thicker than the CAT 5 and CAT 6 copper ethernet cables of today.

Raised floors offered additional benefits. They provided room to place data cables in trays separated from power cables to minimize the impact of electrical noise on the cables carrying data. They also served as a cost-effective way for cool air from air conditioning systems to spread through the floor below the data center and up through perforations in strategically placed floor tiles to cool the equipment in the cabinets above.

Today fiber optic cables have much higher bandwidth than copper cables. They are also less susceptible to noise. Positioning communication and inter-system cables above data cabinets is now a viable option. Moving power cables from under the floor is also an option.

Dramatic increases in power and heat may lead to abandoning the raised floor design of most data centers. The average power used per cabinet (Rack Density) has been on the rise for many years. Over the past 20 years most colocation clients consumed between 2 KW and 5 KW of electrical power per cabinet. Average rack density jumped to 8.5 KW in 2023 and will jump to an estimated  12 KW per cabinet in 2024 (Per AFCON’s State of the Data Center Report).

Traditional air-cooling is adequate for rack densities up to 20 KW. Greater power use may require a change to liquid cooling or other technologies. Higher power requirements and heat output may lead to the end of raised floors in data centers.

Wholesale Data Centers Leading the Way

Construction of larger new data centers is underway for wholesale colocation clients, such as Google and Meta. These data centers employ highly efficient designs to manage power, heat, and cost. Cabinets rest directly on concrete floors. Air cooling flows through ducts from above the cabinets in combination with liquid cooling systems in the cabinets. Power, system, and communication cables connect to the cabinets from the ceiling.

Though technological change is a given in the world of colocation data centers, it is unusual that the adoption of AI may impact a proven infrastructure architecture such as raised floors. Though new data centers may eliminate raised floors from the start, most existing facilities, such as CAPS, plan to migrate to a world without raised floors over time.

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Connecticut’s Data Center Development Challenges

Data centers are the building blocks of local economies. To stimulate economic growth, many states have created incentive programs to attract investments in new data centers. Three years ago, Connecticut initiated its own program. Yet, the construction of new data centers is far from complete in the state even though several innovative projects are in the early development stage.

Virginia is the state that has the most data centers in the country. Northern Virginia has some distinct advantages that led to the development of “Data Center Alley.” It is near Washington DC with its huge data processing requirements. In the late 1960s the Defense Department’s DARPANET project funded the construction of many data networking circuits. In addition, electrical power in Virginia is inexpensive; about 28% below the national average. Also, land is available in Loudan and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia for the construction of large data centers. Virginia also was one of the first states to offer tax benefits to companies that built data centers in their state.

Public Act 21-1

The state of Connecticut would like to create its own data center boon. In 2021 Governor Lamont and his Economic and Community Development Council proposed legislation and the legislature passed it into law (House Bill No. 6514, Public Act 21-1). The “ACT CONCERNING INCENTIVES FOR QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS TO LOCATE IN THE STATE” offers some of the most favorable tax incentives in the country. Companies investing at least $200 million in a data center in the state will be able to waive property and sales taxes for 20 years. This waiver extends to 30 years for investments of $400 million.  Data centers located in Connecticut Enterprise Zones require only half of the investment requirements.

Unfortunately, the program, now more than 3 years old, has not resulted in many new data centers in Connecticut. Though there are several projects underway, They are not complete yet.

Connecticut’s High Cost of Power

Even with a generous tax abatement program from the state, those interested in opening a new data center must overcome challenges that are particularly difficult in Connecticut. The cost of electrical power in our state is extremely high. In fact, Connecticut ranks as the fourth most costly state in the country for power. Since power is a large component of the cost of data center operations, most investors build new data centers in states where power is less expensive.

Several innovative approaches have tried to reduce the cost of electricity at new data centers in Connecticut. A former Stanley Black & Decker facility in New Britain large fuel cell installation. This project, under development for over 6 years, includes a data center which is about to go live.

A major data center is in the design stages that will take advantage of the state’s one remaining nuclear power plant to source lower cost energy. The Millstone Power Station in Waterford, owned by Dominion Energy, is negotiating to provide a long-term source of low-cost electrical power to a new 300MW data center. Local environmental groups and electrical industry regulators are raising questions about the impact on traditional consumers of the Millstone plant’s power output.

NIMBY

New hyper-scale data centers proposed for five other towns in eastern Connecticut are fending off objections from local town boards. Connecticut is a state with a powerful environmental lobby and a history of aggressively enforcing NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard).

Our state government has not yet figured out an effective way to stimulate new data center construction. Fortunately, CAPS’ data center in Shelton is available and ready to serve the colocation requirements of organizations throughout Connecticut.

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Our Connecticut Data Center Clients

Let us face it: colocation is only for some. More than 99% of all companies in Connecticut are small businesses, with twenty-five employees or less. Very few are candidates for colocation. Smaller companies typically only have a few servers and rarely invest in colocation.

If less than 1% of the companies in the state are potential colocation clients, what are the characteristics of those companies that host their IT systems at our data center? We decided to look at the demographics of our colocation clients to see what they have in common.

Size Matters

Company size is an important parameter in terms of the number of employees. All our colocation clients have more than ten employees. There are a few with less than 25 employees. About 30% have between 25 and 50 employees. The majority, around 60%, have over fifty employees.

Another way to parse our colocation clients is by industry. There are many different industries in Connecticut. Financial services, defense, aviation, insurance, and life sciences are some of the most prominent in the state. About 80% of all colocation clients at CAPS are from one of four industries: investments, business services, consumer products, and software developers. Our clients are distributed evenly across these segments with about 20% of our colocation accounts in these four groups.

Location, Location, Location

Proximity to our data center is another key factor. More than 70% of our clients have headquarters within a forty-five-minute drive of Shelton. Many customers have offices in lower Fairfield County. Our data center is especially convenient for them since their travel to CAPS is in the opposite direction of rush hour traffic.

The structure of corporate IT leadership is also significant. Most of our colocation accounts have a senior IT manager, either a CIO or CTO, on their staff. More than 75% of our clients employ information technology management. The others typically rely on support from Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to oversee their IT systems.

How companies procure Internet connectivity is also a differentiator. CAPS allows clients to order Internet services directly from any of the carriers that serve our region. Colocation customers may also order their Internet bandwidth directly from CAPS. Clients who purchase Internet services from CAPS can benefit from our ability to automatically failover from one carrier to another if service on the primary circuit is interrupted. Though more than 80% of our colocation clients chose to purchase Internet services from CAPS, the option to purchase from carriers is becoming increasingly popular, especially for high bandwidth circuits.

Flexibility, Availability, and Savings

Finally, we can segment our clients based on their primary reason for choosing to move their IT systems to our colocation facility. Downsizing offices and migrating to remote work-from-home operations has put a lot of pressure on IT departments. Since the pandemic, about 50% of all clients have selected colocation to provide more flexibility as they change their office configurations. Another 30% of our clients have selected colocation to increase system availability and/or to improve data security. Finally, about 20% have chosen colocation to save money versus the excessive cost of certain cloud implementations.

Though colocation is not for everybody, we are honored to provide a high availability, secure, and cost-effective home for those who require the special hosting services we offer.

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What’s New With UPS Systems and Colocation

UPS systems are a key part of colocation data centers. Let us review the functions they perform and consider the effect of new battery technology, cyber-crime, and AI on these critical systems.

Since even a momentary loss of power can disrupt the flow of data, Uninterruptible Power Supplies are the most critical sub-system in a data center. They provide a continuous source of clean power to IT equipment. When an interruption of power from the electric company occurs, the UPS system immediately takes over. UPS power keeps IT systems operating until the data center’s generators come online. Then, generators maintain power until the utility restores power.

Causes Most Data Center Outages

A recent study by the Ponemon Institute reported that UPS failures are the most common cause of data center downtime. UPS failures often result from poor electrical connections. Vibrations caused by mechanical systems such as rotating power supply fans and air conditioning systems can loosen connections over time. The best way to avoid UPS failures is to perform preventive maintenance at least twice a year. During maintenance, an inspection of all electrical connections should take place. Inspection and replacement of air filters should also occur, and capacitors and batteries replaced as needed.

The UPS room is the noisiest place at our Shelton colocation data center. More than 100 lead-acid batteries are stacked from floor-to-ceiling in a large cinder-block room that was not designed to dampen sound waves. The noise is caused by the air conditioning systems and fans that operate continuously to keep the batteries and electrical components cool.

New Battery Technology

Uninterruptible power supply technology is evolving. UPS batteries are now available with varied materials and performance characteristics. Most data centers still employ UPS systems with lead-acid batteries. Though these batteries are highly dependable and cost-effective, lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium batteries offer superior power density. They require less space, have longer runtimes, and can operate at higher temperatures. Building a new data center may justify investment in batteries incorporating newer materials. However, most data centers will keep their lead-acid batteries until more capacity is required and/or they run out of space.

Exposure to cyber security breaches is a growing problem. Historically, UPS systems were not network-attached. As such, they were immune from cyber-attacks. Today many data centers have installed tools that monitor UPS systems continuously to issue alerts when problems occur. These tools, though valuable for increasing UPS availability, also can increase the risk of a breach if care is not taken to secure all outward facing Internet ports.

AI Stresses UPS Systems

The growth of Artificial Intelligence impacts UPS systems. AI applications typically consume a lot more power than other workloads. As a colocation data center installs more AI clients, the total power consumed will rise. Also, the way AI applications consume power differs from other applications. With AI, power demand can increase dramatically at any time. “Step Load” increases, or instantaneous changes in power demand, are more frequent with AI workloads. UPS systems must be able to fulfill peak power demands. As Artificial Intelligence applications proliferate in a data center, the capacity of UPS and generator systems should increase their capacity to support the increase of peak power demand. Higher power demands will also put stress on the UPS system’s batteries and other components, reducing their effective service life.

Colocation data centers employ different systems to provide secure, dependable, and cost-effective hosting services. UPS systems may be the single most important system in a data center. Though these systems are based on mature technology, changes in other technologies such as AI are having a significant impact on the future of UPS.

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Data Center Fire Suppression- An Ever-Changing Environment

Fire detection and suppression technology has been an essential component of the data center industry since its inception. The ability to identify and extinguish fires quickly with minimal impact on people and IT systems is vitally important wherever computers are installed.

Though technology has improved dramatically over the years, there are new challenges. The frequency of data center fires will rise as data center power concentrations ramp up to meet the energy needs of AI. The effects of environmental regulations, lawsuits, and even patent expirations are all forcing change on the data center fire suppression industry.

In the beginning, portable fire extinguishers and water-based sprinkler systems were the primary tools used to combat data center fires. Halon systems were introduced in the 1960s and were the predominant fire suppression technology for about 30 years. Though effective at fighting fires, Halon was bad for the Ozone Layer and dangerous. When Halon is deployed it can cause suffocation by displacing the oxygen people need to breathe. Halon was banned by the EPA in 1994.

FM-200 Is a Highly Effective Clean Agent

Clean Agents were the next step in the evolution of fire suppressants. The first Clean Agent was FM-200, introduced by DuPont in 1994. FM-200 is highly effective at mitigating fires. It works by removing heat from the fire and inhibiting the chemical reactions necessary for combustion. FM-200 is stored as a liquefied gas under pressure, typically in cylinders. It evaporates upon release and forms a gas that quickly fills the protected area. It does not impact the Ozone Layer and is fast and effective at putting out fires while being safe for IT equipment and people. FM-200 leaves no residue, so cleanup after deployment is easy.

Novec 1230 is another popular Clean Agent fire suppressant. 3M brought this product to market in 2004. Novec 1230 is considered safer for the environment than FM-200. Novec 1230 has a much lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) compared to FM-200, making it more environmentally friendly. It has been designed to have a short atmospheric lifetime and low ozone depletion potential. However, Novec 1230 is more expensive than FM-200 and requires more storage tank space to protect the same area as FM-200.

Environmental Regulations Impact Fire Suppressants

Both FM-200 and Novec 1230 are impacted by environmental regulations. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM) was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The AIM Act authorized the EPA to take actions to reduce the hydrofluorocarbons released into the atmosphere.

To comply with the new EPA regulations, FM-200 began a “phase-down” process in 2022 that mandates reduced production of the popular fire suppressant. By 2037 only 15% of the amount of FM-200 produced annually in 2021 may be brought to market.

Even though Novec 1230 does not contain hydrofluorocarbons, the AIM Act had an impact on Novec 1230 too. On December 20, 2022, 3M announced that it would discontinue all production of Novec 1230 by the end of 2025. The company made this decision based on the changing regulatory environment, the hundreds of lawsuits they were forced to defend themselves against, and the fact that their patents relating to Novec 1230 were about to expire.

Gradual Evolution

So, what does the future of data center fire suppression look like? Though both FM-200 and Novec 1230 are being phased out, this process will take a long time. Though future production of these two products will be restricted, the EPA has not mandated they be taken out of service. Since both products have shelf lives of 20 years or more, they can continue to be used for the near future in those fire suppression systems that are already in service. In fact, the environmental impact of replacing existing FM-200 and Novec 1230 systems is worse than keeping those systems in place. This will give the data center fire detection and suppression industry time for the development of the next generation of products.

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ChatGPT and the History of Colocation in Connecticut

Everybody is talking about ChatGPT; an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that has dominated the news for more than a year. This web-based application provides answers to questions, or prompts, in seconds. In many cases, ChatGPT’s responses are accurate and helpful.

However, ChatGPT must be scrutinized because its information can be incomplete, misleading, or incorrect. Like a know-it-all who corners you at a cocktail party, ChatGPT may provide an answer that sounds good but may not be factual.

We decided to put ChatGPT through its paces by asking some questions about a subject we know well – colocation. We asked the AI tool 3 questions. The responses came back immediately and were mostly helpful. We graded the responses using the following scale. The tool got an “A” for answers that were factually correct and helpful. A “B” grade was earned for answers that were probably true but not well supported while we gave ChatGPT a “C” for answers that were incorrect.

The History of Colocation

The first question we asked was “What is the history of colocation?” ChatGPT did a respectable job answering this question. It provided a synopsis of the computer industry starting with mainframes in the 1950s. It asserted that colocation came into being in the mid 1990s, after PCs and the Internet became ubiquitous. By that time companies were looking for cost-effective and scalable solutions to house their servers. Colocation reduced capital expenses and saved money. We gave ChatGPT an “A” for the quality of its answer to this question.

Next, we asked “What is the history of colocation in the state of Connecticut?” The answer to this question was not as helpful. ChatGPT produced some well-written paragraphs that stated it did not have much additional information about Connecticut’s colocation history. It did note Connecticut’s history of innovation and the high concentration of financial services companies as factors contributing to the growth of colocation in our state. This response earned a grade of “B.”

Finally, we asked “Can you provide the names of the first companies to offer data center colocation services in Connecticut?” Here is where the AI tool came up short. First it made an excuse that it did not have access to any real-time data because its database only includes information collected before January 2022. Then it offered the names of 3 prominent colocation service providers that we know were not among the first in Connecticut.

Chat GPT acknowledged its answer was weak and admitted that it did not have any specific information about the first colocation service providers in Connecticut. It suggested referring to historical records or industry publications. Though it was somewhat forthcoming about how little it knew, we still believe it provided false information. It thus earned a “C” for its answer.

Colocation Pioneers in Connecticut

So which companies were the first to offer colocation services in Connecticut? We researched the web sites of the colocation service providers in our state to determine the following. The first colocation companies in Connecticut began providing these IT hosting services in the middle to late nineties. These pioneers were all small or medium service providers. One started in 1995, another in 1997, and a third in 1999. All three companies are still in the colocation business in Connecticut.

We learned the early history of CAPS from “Barky” (not his real name), a retired CAPS employee who visits our data center from time to time. He started his career at CAPS in 2000. Barky told us CAPS first offered colocation services in the year 2000. The company was founded 5 years earlier to provide business continuity services. These services provided alternate workspaces where clients could operate their businesses if their primary data center was not functioning.

CAPS’ first colocation services were delivered to large financial organizations that were legally required to operate continuously. The penalties for lost transactions were severe so these companies asked if CAPS could provide a “hot recovery” service. This led to the development of the colocation services that today constitute CAPS’ primary business.

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People Power: Our Connecticut Data Center

Though the CAPS’ data center in Shelton employs a highly redundant design and advanced automated monitoring technology, our skilled human resources are essential to our extraordinary service delivery record. Let us look at the role people play in powering our facility.

Proper levels of power, temperature, humidity, security, and fire protection are all key to data center operations. Of these factors, a constant source of sufficient electrical power is the most critical requirement for successful operations. If there is an interruption in the flow of adequate electrical power, data centers immediately stop functioning.

Data center design includes several critical infrastructure components to deliver the power needed to assure operations. These include automatic transfer switches, redundant Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems, and redundant generator systems.

In addition to these critical infrastructure systems, skilled human resources are vitally important. On-site professionals monitor infrastructure systems, oversee ongoing maintenance, and plan and implement new client installations.

At our data center in Shelton, we are fortunate that Charley (not his real name) is a key part of our team. An electrical contractor whose company did the electrical work for major hospitals and office buildings around the state, he is a licensed E1 Master electrician who applies his extensive experience to make sure our data center is always up and running.

People Provide Additional Protection

Let us look at the kinds of things Charley does. Most days he gets to the data center early to inspect the various systems. A variety of automated tools monitor all critical infrastructure systems continuously, sending real-time alerts issued whenever a threshold has been exceeded. Still, it is important for human oversight to provide an additional level of protection.

On a given day Charley may check the Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) systems for alerts or signs of a leak. He may inspect the Voice and Data (VDR) Room, the UPS room, or check the Diesel Generator systems. He also walks through the data center and checks Power Distribution Units (PDUs) in client cabinets to gauge current flows and determine if any equipment is reporting an alarm.

On a regular basis Charley uses a voltmeter, a thermal sensor, and other tools to inspect the electric panels and PDUs in the data center. Elevated temperatures detected at the various connection points may indicate an electrical component is degrading and a technician should replace it.

If an infrastructure system requires maintenance, Charley would oversee the work performed by any of the skilled technicians that support our systems. His experience is often an immense help when dealing with subcontractors. In many cases he has known these people for a long time and can help get a particular problem resolved quickly and cost-effectively.

When a new colocation client is about to move in, Charley once again has a role to play. Each client has unique power requirements. Do they require 20-amp or 30-amp service? Would they like A/B power or is a single power circuit sufficient? Is a special connector required for a client’s systems? Having a licensed electrician who can provide professional guidance and complete any required wiring is invaluable.

Decades Without a Power Outage

Connecticut is known as “The Land of Steady Habits.” This may be due to the traits associated with our Puritan forebearers. People in our state are known for being industrious and doing things the right way. Though some might say that ongoing surveillance of our data center by humans is overkill, given all the automated monitoring tools we deploy, there is no dispute about the results achieved by Charley and the rest of our team. Our data center in Shelton has not experienced an unscheduled power outage in over 20 years.

 

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