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July 19, 2011 Portlandbiz

GWI's new data center opens in Portland

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Biddeford-based telecommunications company GWI recently opened a new cloud-computing data center in Portland expected to benefit as many as 50 businesses.

The Maine Data Center at 340 Cumberland Ave., which opened July 15, saves businesses in-house infrastructure and technical costs, as well as provides secure access to business information, according to a press release from GWI. Initial space will be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis, and businesses can choose how much server space they want. GWI plans to expand the data center as customer demand requires.

The data center has diverse underground power feeds, a back-up generator and multiple GWI fiber-optic connections for reliable access, according to GWI. It also has a fire-suppression system and redundant cooling systems to protect customers' business information.

"In order for Maine businesses to compete, win and create economic opportunity here, we are going to have to figure out how best to take advantage of cloud computing," GWI CEO Fletcher Kittredge said in the release.

A national 2011 survey of 2,000 chief technology officers conducted by industry analyst Gartner Inc. found that nearly half of all CIOs expect to utilize cloud computing within the next five years to grow their companies and reduce costs. Cloud computing allows businesses to back up data or add capabilities without investing in new infrastructure or software.

GWI provides telephone and Internet services to both businesses and residential customers, and recently opened a new division, Northern Data Centers, in Portland to offer data center and cloud computing services. The company has 70 employees and annual revenues of $14 million. GWI is also spearheading the Three Ring Binder initiative to expand broadband service to more rural areas of the state. Mainebiz named CEO Fletcher Kittredge a 2011 Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year.

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