Chicago, Illinois Data Center

Data Center Details

Chicago’s central location within the United States makes it a favorable choice for businesses that need to reach multiple markets across North America. As a major financial hub in the US, Chicago is home to three major exchanges: the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Companies in the financial sector find colocation in Chicago especially useful, as they can easily access low-latency connections for high-frequency trading and other financial applications.

NetActuate’s new Chicago location is a part of a network of data centers that is home to nearly 900 companies and close to 200 providers, providing many opportunities for interconnection. Chicago is also a great option for disaster recovery and redundancy, because of its relatively moderate climate conditions that generally avoid extreme temperatures, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.

Building

  • 196,151 square feet
  • Pre-cast concrete walls and steel frames
  • 150 psf and 250 psf floor load capacity
  • Slab floor

Compliance

  • HIPAA
  • ISO 22301
  • ISO 27001
  • NIST 800-53/FISMA
  • PCI DSS
  • SOC 1 Type II
  • SOC 2 Type II

Security

  • Man trap entry
  • 24/7 on-site security officers
  • Biometric readers
  • Fiber vault
  • CCTV surveillance with 90-day video
    retention
  • Motion detection

Connectivity

  • Carrier-agnostic
  • Multiple connections
  • Equinix Internet Exchange Chicago
  • Cross Connects

Power

  • Block redundant UPS
  • N+1 UPS redundancy
  • 16 x 2500 kW diesel generators
  • N+2 standby power redundancy

Cooling

  • Water-cooled centrifugal chillers
  • Water-side heat exchangers
  • Air handling units
  • N+2 cooling redundancy

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Chicago a strategic location for colocation?

Because of its central location in the United States, Chicago is a strategic location for colocation. From Chicago, businesses can benefit from low latency connectivity and data exchange across the United States and parts of Canada. As a major financial hub, Chicago is a popular choice for businesses in the financial services that depend on low-latency connectivity for activities such as high-frequency trading.

Does Chicago have a good climate for data center colocation?

Chicago’s climate is consider very favorable for data centers. Chicago generally has moderate temperatures and is able to avoid extremes like hurricanes, earthquakes, or extreme heat. Overall this reduces the risk of weather-related disruptions. 

How many data centers are in Illinois?

According to Data Center Map, there are over 100 data centers throughout Illinois, largely clustered in Chicago. Chicago is a popular choice for data centers, as it has excellent connectivity infrastructure, a low risk for natural disasters, and proximity to major financial exchanges.

How much does colocation cost in Chicago?

The cost of colocation can very greatly depending on the number of devices you need to host in a given facility. Data center operators often won’t provide colocation for quanitites less a rack, so if you don’t have a large amount of IT equipment, you’re better off finding a provider inside the data center to share a rack with. This can also help bring costs down. You can read more about how colocation is sold and strategies for finding the right colocation solution for your business. You can also  schedule a call with NetActuate or reach out to sales@netactuate.com to talk through colocation options in Chicago.