Digital Realty will be housing the non-profit Internet security analysts The Shadowserver Foundation at its Oakland data center, California.
The Foundation had been looking for a new data center that could support its growing storage needs and allow it to be "independent." According to a statement from Shadowserver, it will be making use of Digital Realty’s Network Hub to scale its business by optimizing network performance and interconnecting network traffic. By locating at the data center, Shadowserver will have easier access to Silicon Valley and enjoy enough space to support high-density deployments.
The 122,000 sq ft (11,000 sq m) facility derives 100 percent of its power from renewable sources and holds around 5,000 sq m (55,000 sq ft) of actual IT space.
On Shadowserver's website, a list of criteria was set that had to be met by any potential providers. The facility needed a decent loading dock (able to lift a minimum of 1,500 lbs), office space, cheap, and ideally had to be located in the Bay Area.
A Shadowserver spokesperson said: "It was not an easy decision on who to choose because each one had its own pros and cons."
Funding woes
Earlier this year, Shadowserver asked for funding assistance to help it become "independent" of its previous corporate sponsor, Cisco, and move out of its data center in San Jose, California. Via donations, the non-profit eventually received over $500,000, enough to sign the lease for a new data center.
Originally meant to move in at the end of May, Shadowserver's exit date was extended to August, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson from the non-profit said: "This gave us a bit more breathing room to figure out where we will be going and be able to negotiate a better deal for Shadowserver since wherever we moved would be for several years to come.
"We set several deadlines for ourselves and the different providers. As the end date approached to make a decision we put out an additional plea for any others that might want to help.
"We received an overwhelming response from the many providers that were interested in our business but also many organizations that we have worked with for years wanting to help in some fashion. Many of our old friends reached out to see if they can help get us the best deal as well as many looking to build new or to further partnerships.
"Our final choice was Digital Realty at their Oakland data center location. The space was nice, it was still in the Bay Area, and met all of our requirements."
