Ross Perot did more than run for President twice.
In 1988 he also founded Perot Systems Corporation, a Texas-based IT powerhouse with a global reach and, locally, a data center in Florence, Kentucky.
This Florence data hub occupies a decked out 24,000 square feet, complete with fully redundant UPS systems, backup generators and the ability to support the latest new server technology.
In short, it's a workhorse.
"Since its opening in 2006, our Florence data center has enabled Perot Systems to not only provide top-quality services to our clients, but also has served as a critical part of our worldwide backbone network connecting this center to our other data centers," says Scott Barnes, vice president of Infrastructure Solutions for Perot Systems. "We continue to invest in this facility, and it is a key component to the growth of our “cloud” computing environment."
There are reasons for this concentrated development of the Florence data center. This hub has consistently supplied the goods by tapping into local resources.
"We were very proud to locate our data center in Florence for many reasons, including the region’s growing support of the technology industry, a dynamic business environment and strong educational system, all of which contribute to a rich talent pool of career professionals in the area," Barnes says.
Although many industries have taken a significant hit from the economic crisis, Perot Systems' wide base of capabilities has kept business relatively steady.
Some of these services include IT upgrade, facilitating the move into new markets, web portal creation and consulting services for overhauling a business.
Therefore, from one perspective, economic unease actually fuels demand for the very services Perot Systems offers.
"We have announced numerous new contracts and renewals so far this year," Barnes says. "Long-term, we’re optimistic that the current economic climate will encourage more businesses to consider and adopt IT services that help them maximize efficiencies and improve their operations."
Alongside this upbeat short-term report, Perot Systems continues to set its sights globally, especially in burgeoning markets where foreign-owned companies have a growing footprint.
Asia serves as a good case in point.
"We are now selling into markets such as India and China where our presence was once limited to the delivery of services to domestic customers," Barnes says.
Ultimately, the data center in Florence is a local powerhouse running on local strengths, such as the Cincinnati region's strength in life sciences.
With the flourishing of health IT and the creation of advanced electronic tracking technologies for lab specimens and beyond, Perot Systems is poised to work side by side with other local healthcare IT companies –General Data being one – to maximize the Cincinnati region's impact on this promising field.
"As a leader in the healthcare IT industry, we are particularly interested in the provisions of the economic stimulus package that call for the expansion of electronic health records," Barnes says. "We continue to monitor this opportunity."