May 26, 2011 – Telus has announced its plans to construct a new $65 million Tier III intelligent internet data centre in Rimouski, Que. The facility, designed to be the first Telus internet data centre built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Standards, is said to “significantly enhance Telus’ IT management services to businesses in Quebec, Canada and internationally.”

With this investment, Telus said it expects to further provide Quebec clients with world class IT facilities and managed services – allowing them to focus on their core business and boosting their competitiveness.

“The new Telus intelligent internet data centre will be a flagship facility; one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly purpose-built data centres of its kind in North America,” noted François Côté, president of Telus Quebec and Telus Health Solutions.

“It demonstrates our commitment to providing our business clients with the most powerful, innovative IT services. In fact, the data centre will meet their growing need for cloud computing solutions which are becoming a software and infrastructure management priority,” he continued.

This latest investment also coincides with the eve of Telus’ 85th anniversary in Quebec.

But why Rimouski?

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“Rimouski is an ideal location for Telus’ intelligent internet data centre because of the city’s highly skilled and dynamic workforce,” said the company. Here, Telus can benefit from Quebec’s hydroelectric power – “an abundant source of green energy,” it explained.

According to Telus, the city’s moderate climate also contributes to lower energy requirements for the building’s cooling and heating systems.

“Telus’ announcement today (May 18) highlights one of Rimouski’s key missions: leveraging the information technology and communication sectors to advance its economy and knowledge base,” said Éric Forest, mayor of Rimouski. “As Rimouski’s largest private employer with more than 1,400 employees, Telus has once again clearly proclaimed its role as a major catalyst of our city’s economic growth.”

Construction of the facility
Telus has opted to partner with Skanska for the construction of the new facility. The data centre is slated to have a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15, and is described as having a modular design, “enabling Telus to rapidly expand capacity while using the most advanced and efficient technologies available”, it said.

Construction is set to begin in the next few weeks with the opening scheduled for 2012. The new facility will be directly connected to the national Telus IP network and interconnect into existing data centres across the country.