unDergrounD clouD
going green:
Deep Down
innovation
Underground with Iron Mountain Data Center BY BrUCe hoarD
BOTTOM LINE
Iron Mountain has extended the preservation of permanent
records from decades to over 2,000 years, while forg-
ing ahead with a solid sustainability initiative focused on
advanced energy-saving technologies at work in its under-
ground facility in Pennsylvania. The innovative design and
engineering on display lets Iron Mountain check all five
sustainability boxes: energy, transportation, logistics, waste
management, and recycling products and programs.
“WE THINK FIRST in terms of benefits to the customer,
and that includes considering benefits to the environment,
which in turn provides upside to Iron Mountain,” says
Bill Brown, CIO, Iron Mountain. “Our goal is to combine
enterprise-class scalability, security, reliability and access
with information protection, storage and management,
plus operational efficiency. Ultimately that combination
enables us to help customers achieve peace of mind while
realizing additional benefits of our practical advice and services designed for intelligent information management.”
The collision of data center operating costs and weak
economic conditions is placing pressure on every organization to take steps that optimize energy efficiencies and
reduce data center costs. Federal regulations are also bearing down on businesses, which must satisfy more and more
energy standards. In response to these unprecedented and
increasing challenges, Iron Mountain is innovating on the
front lines to reduce the carbon footprint of businesses,
particularly when it comes to data center efficiency.
But one company alone cannot turn the tide against a
multitude of outdated data center practices. CIOs across the
board must make the most of their assets — including the
natural advantages of their geographic locations, existing
IT infrastructures, and new technologies and designs.
“We have been in the data center business for 25 years,”
says Charles Doughty, Iron Mountain vice president of
engineering. “With our six data centers and a wide range of
services that span analysis and advice to scanning and digi-
