“Fujitsu will take the lessons learned from our new Sydney Data Centre, which opened just a few weeks ago, and refine them in the design and construction of this new, larger facility to set a new standard in data centre management,” said Rod Vawdrey, Chief Executive Officer, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand.

“At a time when other companies are tightening their belts, reducing headcount and cancelling major projects, Fujitsu is reaffirming its long-term commitment to the Australian market with a significant investment in world class data centre infrastructure.  At the same time, we are positioning ourselves as an environmentally responsible partner by extending our leadership in sustainable technology,” he said.

Strategically located in suburban Perth to service the booming WA market and target growing opportunities in Asia, the new purpose-built 8,000m2 complex will provide more than 3,000m2 of Tier 3+ raised floor space. 

Innovation Delivers Cost Savings

Fujitsu’s General Manager of Data Centre Services, Michael Gunton said the Perth facility will employ a range of innovations introduced in Sydney as well as incorporating new technologies to further reduce the cost of operation and increase ROI for clients.

“The Sydney complex is already the most environmentally sustainable facility of its kind in Australia and our intention is to extend those capabilities even further in the areas of energy efficiency, security, resilience, data integrity and return on investment,.  Our goal is to continue to raise the benchmark in terms of quality data centre facilities in this part of the world,” he said.

“The base design will feature an advanced hybrid cooling system similar to Sydney, but Perth’s climate will also allow us to implement free cooling as an option for our customers about eight months of the year, which could potentially decrease the cooling load by up to 50 per cent.  The use of ultrasonic humidifiers will deliver further cost advantages since they require only 20 per cent of the energy that traditional units use.”

The first of its kind in Western Australia, designed to the Tier III standard of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Association Standard for Data Centres and backed by sophisticated building control management systems that remotely monitor and adjust power settings around the complex, the Perth facility will incorporate state-of-the-art biometric and other security technologies to deliver maximum efficiency and superior data integrity and resilience.

“We will explore new products and techniques to push the envelope when it comes to reducing power usage and minimising our clients’ carbon footprints,” said Mr Gunton, who added that the Perth Data Centre will also feature sophisticated metering capabilities to support clients in complying with energy legislation.

“Our environmental accounting service provides a detailed breakdown on each client’s power and cooling consumption within the data centre, including conversion into greenhouse emissions to enable them to report their usage under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007,” he said.

“When we opened the Sydney Data Centre, we promised clients they would save around 20 per cent on their operational data centre costs thanks to the sustainable technology innovations we employed there.  Our intention now is to further increase that margin in the way we design and build this facility.”

Setting New Standards for Environmental Sustainability

Fujitsu Australia’s Head of Sustainability, Alison O’Flynn, said the company’s global commitment to environmental sustainability ensures that initiatives like the Perth Data Centre have access to the very latest in sustainable technology.

“Fujitsu has actively applied and promoted environmental principles for over 15 years, since the introduction of our Environmental Protection Program back in 1993, and has been recognised as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since its inception in 1999,” said Ms O’Flynn.

“Our own research within Fujitsu plus our involvement in The Green Grid, a global consortium working to improve energy efficiency in data centre and business computing ecosystems, provide valuable insights which we will apply in the Perth facility to deliver superior ROI for our clients while minimising the environmental impact.”

Construction on the Perth Data Centre is expected to begin in August 2009, with the building slated for completion in November 2010.

http://www.fujitsu.com/au/