Monthly Archives: October 2014

Can the Sun Power The Cloud?

At Data Center Knowledge: A massive solar array in central New Jersey provides the daytime power for a server farm delivering online financial services for McGraw Hill. The 50-acre field of photovoltaic solar panels symbolizes a new phase in the use of renewable energy in data centers. Massive arrays can now provide tens of megawatts of solar power for companies (including Apple) that can afford the land and the expense. But some data center thought leaders argue that these huge fields are more about marketing than genuinely finding the best approach to a greener cloud. Read the full article: Super-Sizing Solar Power for Data Centers.

Bitcoin: An Infrastructure Market in Transition

At Data Center Knowledge: As sharp price declines wreak havoc with the economics of Bitcoin mining, some entrepreneurs see a shift to transaction fees as the future of the virtual currency. A shift from mining rewards to transaction fees has implications for the data center industry, which could gain more business from industrial Bitcoin miners if the facilities supporting the network need to be enterprise-friendly. Bitcoin mining pioneer Dave Carlson Carlson believes e-commerce will create a major opportunity for dedicated Bitcoin mining operations. ““My belief is that if you’re Michael Dell and your revenues from bitcoin become meaningful, you may want to know where your transactions are being processed,” said Dave Carlson, the CEO of MegaBigPower, one of North America’s largest mining operations. “You may not want to rely upon a mine in China.” Read the full article at DCK.

Manhattan’s Iconic Telecom Tower

At LinkedIn: I recently got a chance to revisit 60 Hudson Street, one of New York’s most storied addresses for the data center industry.The former Western Union building has played a key role in the growth of telegraph and telecom infrastructure in New York and beyond, and recently underwent a major upgrade to its power capacity. Check out my column on LinkedIn about the changing face of the New York market, as well as the my DCK piece, “Manhattan’s Iconic 60 Hudson Street Gets A Power Boost.”