MCLEAN, VA — (Marketwired) — 05/14/13 — Building on the legislative successes of its Data Center and Critical Technology Infrastructure Task Force and responding to rapid growth in data center expansions and outsourced IT infrastructure services in Virginia, the (NVTC) today announced the formation of the
The Committee-s mission is to provide a clear, collective and compelling voice for the region-s data center and cloud and critical infrastructure community in an effort to contribute to the long term growth and prosperity of the industry. It will examine a variety of issues and measure the impact of the data center ecosystem on regional business and job growth.
“Northern Virginia has become a world leader in the data center industry and we welcome the creation of NVTC-s Data Center and Cloud Infrastructure Committee,” said Bob McDonnell, Governor of Virginia. “Data center expansion and investment are a critical element in diversifying Virginia-s technology economy and attracting private sector jobs and generating new local revenue-particularly as the region faces future changes in Federal spending and procurement. I applaud the Committee-s mission to build on the success of Northern Virginia-s expanding data center cluster and ensure that the Commonwealth continues to be a vital destination and source for tomorrow-s technology companies.”
Across the globe, virtualization, cloud computing, electronic trading, government consolidation, and wireless applications are propelling enormous growth in enterprise and outsourced data centers. According to Gartner, the global market for IT outsourcing, web hosting services, and cloud IT infrastructure will reach $340 billion by 2015.
Locally, Northern Virginia is a global IT hub with 70% of the world-s Internet traffic flowing through 50 data centers that encompass more than 7 million square feet.(1) Fueled by an ideal combination of competitive and stable power rates, global network connectivity, proximity to the federal government, a robust technology sector and ready access to a highly skilled, educated workforce, Northern Virginia has emerged as a critical data center destination for some of the world-s most important enterprises, such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Visa, and hundreds of other companies that are now hosting their businesses- IT in local data centers.
The Committee also announced it will hold its first public event on June 5 at the Ritz Carlton in McLean, Va. Moderated by Andrew Blum, author of Tubes – A Physical Journey to Our Virtual World, the event will feature speakers examining the key issues and challenges of organizations as they accelerate the transition to hybrid IT and cloud computing. .
“Data centers, IT infrastructure and the cloud represent a great opportunity for the Northern Virginia technology sector,” said NVTC President and CEO Bobbie Kilberg. “NVTC-s new Data Center and Cloud Infrastructure Committee will play a vital role in promoting this growing sector and ensuring Virginia remains a top global destination for data center investment and jobs.”
Originally founded in 2010, NVTC-s Data Center and Critical Technology Infrastructure Task Force served to provide a strong, collective voice for the region-s data center community and to promote policies and initiatives to increase data center investment and expansion throughout Virginia. Following successful lobbying efforts by NVTC, legislation expanding eligibility of the Governor-s Development Opportunity Fund to include economic development opportunities in data center expansion and investment was passed in 2011 and new legislation expanding Virginia-s sales tax exemption for data centers to include data center tenants was passed in 2012. In 2013, NVTC successfully lobbied for legislation to further enhance Virginia-s competitiveness in attracting data center jobs and investment by providing local governments with the authority to adopt a separate personal property tax rate for computers and peripherals used in data centers. NVTC-s Data Center and Critical Technology Infrastructure Task Force played a pivotal role in educating legislators, Gov. McDonnell and his cabinet on the economic contributions of data centers leading up to these legislative sessions.
Now the DCCIC, the Committee is attracting members and sponsors from a growing ecosystem of IT manufacturers, suppliers and service providers that benefit from the delivery of technology and services from Northern Virginia data centers. Committee objectives include:
Promoting the interests of anyone with a stake in ensuring that Northern Virginia continues to be a leading global destination, not just for data centers, but also for the wider ecosystem of companies that rely on the data center as the commerce platform of the 21st century.
Providing educational and training programming for members and offering forums for thought leadership and the sharing of best practices.
Leading efforts to identify the needs of the future workforce and advocating for industry specific education programming.
Informing the community of the industry-s vital role as a contributor to today-s technology-led economy and a major factor in the prosperity and economic stability of the region.
Working to ensure the sustainability of the industry by thoughtfully discussing potential barriers to growth and advocating for policies that promote the overall health of the industry.
The DCCIC-s founding corporate sponsors include ; ; , . The Committee is co-chaired by Buddy Rizer, Loudoun, Virginia Economic Development, and Jonathan Sharp, Vice President, Latisys.
To learn more, to see info about the committee, get on the email distribution list, join the monthly meetings, and attend the upcoming public event on June 5.
(1) Source: Loudoun Virginia Department of Economic Development
:
Carter B. Cromley
(703) 861-7245
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