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iLink is a $35 billion dollar corporation with the vision to be the leading commercial Internet traffic exchange center in all of Asia Pacific. Serving ISPs, eCommerce enterprises, Internet content, multimedia and application service providers, iLink.net Limited has already established itself as a leading connectivity and network management service provider for the most active participants of the global economy.
But with only 422 square miles (of which less than 10% is usable due to mountainous, rocky terrain) and 6.5 million people, to say real estate is scarce in Hong Kong is quite the understatement. In fact, developing new facilities is not even an option because land is simply unavailable.
Yet, iLink.net manages all of its operations in multiple data centers, including its primary Shatin facility in the heart of Hong Kong. The world class eCommerce premise is a surprising 20,000+ square foot facility. iLink.net uses every foot - including the twelve feet from slab to slab between floors. "In the states, you can build horizontally," said iLink's president, Billy Tam. "If you don't have enough space, you chop down a few pine trees - then you get another acre. In Hong Kong, you can only build on the existing building."
When racing against "the Internet clock" to beat global competition, iLink.net implemented a fast-track schedule to complete its new data center. Using its own people and working three shifts for continuous 24-hour coverage, the facility was built in two months. Because network system specifications included private customer-specified cabling and hardware housing, iLink.net searched for architectural infrastructure support equipment that would best meet customer requirements, its own requirements, and the physical requirements of the facility itself.
Interestingly enough, the solution resulted from a simple, yet comprehensive Internet search using only the words "racks" and "open racks." Clearly, CPI was the source that would satisfy the unique requirements of iLink's new downtown Hong Kong data center. It was determined that CPI's aluminum construction is the better choice in Asia because the floor load is only rated at 75 pounds per square foot. CPI racks secured all 75 components without sacrificing stability. But even though the floor loading was critical, the data center still required a massive infrastructure to support more than 200 servers and over 50,000 feet of single and multi-mode fiber and CAT5 cabling at 155mB (just within the data center itself).
Using the website and catalog, iLink.net found that CPI offered both the individual component for virtually any condition as well as a complete "system approach" for supporting the entire facility. A wide assortment of open racks, rack enclosures, secure cabinets, multiple shelving options and complete cable management solutions ensured iLink.net would find a one-source supplier in CPI.
The iLink.net data center in Hong Kong is certainly impressive. It's a showcase for top business clients and an application to be envied by savvy IT professionals. The most knowledgeable customers who visit see the art of high technology at its best. Customers also see that their equipment is organized, stored and secured using CPI - the same product iLink.net uses for its own equipment.
CPI rack systems made the best use of limited space while providing the ultimate flexibility in system configuration.
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