ViaWest has announced that Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) has selected ViaWest as the exclusive colocation provider for its United States data center following a competitive evaluation. HDS – Hitachi Americas’ largest business unit — will now house and market its IT infrastructure in a 3,600 sq ft space at ViaWest’s state-of-the-art Compark Data Center in Denver. HDS selected ViaWest for the five-year contract, valued at $6.6M, based on a combination of factors including the company’s reputation, facility capabilities and customer service excellence.

“We were looking for an industry-leading solution for our data center, and ViaWest’s Compark facility is the best-in-class by far,” said Roger Hughes, vice president of IT global service delivery at HDS. “Our previous data center was 10,000 sq ft, but by taking advantage of ViaWest’s advanced facilities and higher density capabilities, we’re able to consolidate to a 3,600 sq ft space, while upgrading our infrastructure with the most cutting-edge Hitachi equipment.”

With more than 140,000 sq ft of raised floor, the Compark Data Center is designed to be concurrently maintainable and fault tolerant, ensuring businesses’ mission-critical data is always available. Along with award-winning data centers, ViaWest also provides 24x7 on-site expert engineers and service staff that set its data centers apart. Colorado, which also serves as the headquarters for ViaWest, is one of the most secure colocation and hosting locations available, both technologically and environmentally.

While HDS selected ViaWest for its top-rated facility in Denver, its interest was also drawn to ViaWest for the unique marketing opportunity the Compark Data Center provides Hitachi customers and prospects. HDS will use a branded deployment in a prominent space at the Compark location as a showcase for its own advanced product portfolio.

“Three years ago, Hitachi made a commitment to open a facility in Colorado that would essentially be an extension of our headquarters in California,” said Hughes. “With this new facility, we’re not only delivering on our promise by expanding in the Denver market — we’re also building a state-of-the-art data center that is very powerful, both visually and technologically. The advanced Hitachi equipment used to build it, combined with the elegance and capabilities of the ViaWest facility, makes for a data center that is incredibly striking.”

“Hitachi is one of the largest brands in the world, and we’re honored that its largest subsidiary in the U.S. has selected ViaWest as its exclusive colocation provider,” said Gunnar Stinnett, regional vice president at ViaWest. “We look forward to serving Hitachi through a long-term strategic partnership that supports their future goals. It’s an exciting opportunity for us to create something that’s truly innovative and unique.”