Do we really want a data center here?

I read quite a bit of hand-wringing into the loss of a Facebook data center. I have a hard time understanding the overwhelming sorrow. It makes me wonder if people even understand what the giant data centers actually do.

I have helped design and manage very large data center environments. If we do our job in design properly, they require little on-site presence.

A data center may require 7×24 security. It may require a local staff of 10 people or so. These people would be responsible for day-to-day cabling, some local repair and new installations and other changes.

I would not consider these high-paying or even highly technical jobs. These are built to be managed remotely using offshore labor. If something fails in the compute environment it is just shut down and other resources are re-assigned.

The highly technical roles in design and engineering are done in Facebook California or overseas technical centers. These would not be done locally.

What a giant data center needs are a large source of cheap power, low property taxes, very good connectivity to internet and communications providers and a generally stable and secure area.

After the initial build, which could help some locals, there is very little ongoing community influx.

Facebook is amazing with their data center standards, and practically all internal equipment will be shipped in from the Chinese builders built to Facebook’s standards and arrive in shipping containers.

I assume you want software development houses, tech startups, corporate design houses. We have a pretty good university system to get bright people into our area, but how do we keep that local talent in state? There needs to be financial backers that will take the risks to support local entrepreneurs.

If you want more high tech companies in this area, there are several items that need to be available. Easy and inexpensive access to high speed internet is one.

None of these companies will move into an area that even hints at discriminatory politics. In the Bible belt as we are, I am not sure this is something our population can truly support. There needs to be a community of like-minded dynamic people for these folks to want to be around.

Even though I am in a very high tech role and live in Fayetteville, I am torn about supporting growth, and becoming like those congested areas around the north perimeter. Is that really what we want?

Joe Disharoon
Fayetteville, Ga.