When you think of Phoenix, you probably think hot temperatures, desert gardens, Southwest-infused fine dining, luxurious spas, and championship golf courses. But did you know that Phoenix is among the top data center locations in North America?
While Phoenix has long been a travel destination, cloud and hyperscale providers are now flocking to the area in the great data center expansion race. With this influx also comes the need for local businesses and healthcare providers to upgrade their technology infrastructure.
Hot data center market
According to Data Center Frontier, “Phoenix is one of the most active markets globally in terms of hyperscale demand and development.” There are several factors which make Phoenix so appealing:
- Low Natural Disaster Risk – Phoenix has almost no history of damage associated with seismic, tornado, and flooding events.
- Inexpensive Power Cost – Phoenix power costs is well below the national average due to a diverse fuel mix that includes renewable sources such as hydroelectric and solar.
- Tax Abatement Opportunities – In April 2021, Governor Ducey signed bill B. 2649 which brought in tax breaks for data center providers.
- Competitive Hyperscale/Cloud Environment – Over the past few years, investments by some of the largest cloud and hyperscale providers have lead Phoenix to trail only Northern Virginia in size.
More than a cloud/hyperscale haven
While cloud/hyperscale providers are what come to mind when talking about data centers, healthcare providers are also seeking data center space. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry was thrust into upgrading and adding new technologies to accommodate telemedicine, electronic health records, IoT devices, and other technologies to continue operations and patient care regardless of physical distance.
Arizona ranks 4th in quality-of-care metrics, ranking it higher than California, Massachusetts, and Maryland. To continue on this path, healthcare providers in Arizona are turning to data centers and IT to ensure they stay up to date with the latest technology needs and maintaining continuity of operations.
Beyond data centers, technology upgrades for existing facilities and new build construction are seeing a significant uptick in the Phoenix area as well. As the need to be connected continues to grow, businesses are in a rush to make sure their wireless systems can provide service. Many companies are looking to either install or add to their DAS systems to achieve connectivity throughout their building.
Area healthcare systems are looking to upgrade their audio-visual systems to ensure they are providing a positive patient experience. As healthcare providers move towards telemedicine, it’s vital for them to be up to date with the latest in audio visual capabilities.
What Phoenix means to E2 Optics
E2 Optics has long been a trusted low voltage solutions provider to many of the world’s largest cloud and hyperscale providers. Our presence in the Phoenix market started in 2015, since that time we have seen our portfolio in the market continuously grow. For the past three years, we have doubled our revenue each year.
For E2 Optics, the Phoenix market sees us serving customers in the cloud/hyperscale, healthcare, office, and commercial industries. Our portfolio of projects continues to grow, allowing us to provide not just a job but a career for our employees. On average, an entry level technician with E2 Optics can advance to a management track within 18 to 24 months.
Our work in the region continues to expand in the healthcare space to include existing and new hospital build-outs. In addition to our data center services, we are seeing an increase in demand for our in-house design-build services. For example, we are currently providing wireless services (DAS, RoIP, Public Safety) for new builds and technology upgrades for established builds.
E2’s Phoenix location is continuing to expand its local support staff to include safety management, project coordinator, multiple scope specific project managers, and operations management. We are also placing an increased focus and prioritization on expanding our training program to help with internal career growth.
To learn more about career opportunities with E2 Optics, please visit our career page here.
