Landmark data centre opened in Sydney

NextDC opened a Tier 3 Data centre in Sydney's Macquarie Park last night.

Minister for communications Malcolm Turnbull joined NextDC chief executive Craig Scroggie in officially 'switching on' the data centre.

Turnbull told gathered members of the IT community that the S1 showed Australia could host cloud solutions.

The new S1 data centre is the biggest NextDC data centre yet, capable of handling an 11.5-megawatt load at capacity. It is one of only seven data centres in the country to have earned UTI Tier III certification.

The data centre is already running at 27 percent of its 2,800 rack capacity. Foundation customers include Telstra, Dimension Data, ICT Networks and 30 others. 

Boardrooms kitted out with video-conferencing technology, relax areas with massage chairs and a kitchen are just some of the on-site facilities for clients.

NextDC chief executive Craig Scoggie said 1,000 square metres of the sites 5,600 technical space has been allotted for "clients with special requirements".

The S1 has a multi-layered biometric security system. Entering the facility requires fingerprint scanning, an individually programmed access card and turnstiles that record your weight as you enter and leave.

The company's systems makes it possible for clients to grant one-off remote access to technicians.

Scroggie described the design of the data centre as "an island" as it can operate for 24 hours separate to electricity and water grids. Powerful diesel generators and a 400,000-litre water tank kick into action in the event of a blackout or failure.

Chilled water from the tank is funnelled through the flooring in order to keep the temperature regulated. Additionally, S1 has 22 industrial air-conditioners with contingencies in place in the event an air conditioner needs to be serviced or breaks down.

"Any one conditioner can fail and the other units will deliver more power," Croggie told guests.

NextDC's S1 data centre has created 30 ongoing professional jobs. The company operates additional data centres in Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth.