SunGard Availability Services opens new data center somewhere in Philadelphia
Wayne-based information-technology company SunGard Availability Services opened a third data center in Philadelphia last week, a spokeswoman told Technically Philly.
“Customers can buy solutions that include hosting, application services, email and collaboration services, network services, managed security services, storage services and replication services,” said company spokeswoman Valeria Maltoni. “The idea is to have a secure, highly available and redundant IT environment. ”
The specific location of the $25 million, 120,000-square foot structure is, well, somewhere on Spring Garden Street, though specific locations are not disclosed by the company for security reasons, said Maltoni.
The unity of parent company SunGard Data Systems has two other data centers amounting to 350,000 square feet in the city, the others being on North Broad and Chestnut streets. These centers offer business continuity, which means your operation keeps chugging, irrespective of power outages, technical failure, attack or accidentally flipping the wrong switch.
“It’s like having a condo, you move in with your equipment and can choose to run it yourself, colocation, and take advantage of our infrastructure: power, high security, strong networks or you can also look into us managing the equipment and data for you,” Maltoni said.
The data centers employ more than 400 people in Philadelphia, and SunGard send pay checks to 2,700 in the region. SunGard expects more than 30,000 customers, many from outside the city, in 2009, Maltoni said. The new center has two independent power sources and back-up generators.
The center also features advanced security and environmental monitoring and redundant heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, as first reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Additionally work stations are available for customers, you know, if they can find the place.
“Having founded disaster recovery more than 30 years ago, we have proven processes that have been tested by experienced staff,” Maltoni said “Our new managed services facility in Philadelphia extends SunGard’s capacity in providing a robust, resilient infrastructure to our customers.”
Maltoni did not disclose whether the Mission Impossible theme plays in the background.
Photo of a SunGard building. Specific locations are not disclosed.
Colin on February 25th, 2009
I’ve toured their facilities when shopping around and the locations weren’t much of a secret. I didn’t have to be blind folded and shoved in the back of a van in order to get there.
Christopher Wink on February 25th, 2009
That is so weird because SunGard insisted I be blindfolded while writing this story! But I’m glad you can confirm these locations exist. …It’s a little less fun, though.
Jesse Middleton on February 25th, 2009
Even weirder than that, SunGard insisted I be blindfolded while writing this comment to a story that was written while blindfolded about their secret location.
Valeria Maltoni on February 25th, 2009
@Colin – we just don’t volunteer the information. I would hope you were not whisked away and that the tour was a good experience.
@Christopher – maybe my third time of trying to comment is the charm. You gave me an idea with Mission Impossible. Indeed finding colocation or managed services under the same roof with recovery can be a challenge. Glad you connected with Alex at IndyHall, he’s one of my favorite people from the local community.
@Jesse – even better is when you try to hit the submit button on a comment to a site while blindfolded
(Posted by a Technically Philly administrator at Maltoni’s request)
Daniel Craig on June 17th, 2009
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