Just in time for the New Year, Keystone NAP, the company responsible for launching the first advanced data center in the Northeast, is announcing the arrival of the first KeyBlock IT module for its multi-tenant data center site situated on the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The custom-designed KeyBlock IT modules were co-developed with Schneider Electric and are configured to meet individual customer needs for power, cooling, and communications network connectivity. The first KeyBlock arrived at Keystone NAP this week.

Keystone NAP offers a powerful combination of web-scale infrastructure and advanced data center services. Taking a page from some of the world's leading hyper-scale cloud data centers, Keystone NAP selected a modular design providing maximum performance levels and resource efficiency. Each KeyBlock acts as a private, secure customer vault and offers a customizable data center environment within the broader multi-tenant facility.

Unlike in other modular data centers, Keystone NAP will deploy KeyBlock modules in stacks throughout the facility, an architecture which allows for more efficient use of real estate. The next shipment of KeyBlocks is scheduled to arrive in February.

"The old model of warehousing server racks in padlocked cages doesn't work anymore," said Peter Ritz, founder and CEO of Keystone NAP. "Companies increasingly need to customize their power and connectivity configurations and ensure that data is securely isolated from outside threats. This is what KeyBlocks are designed to do. By deploying these unique modules, we can deliver significant efficiency and performance benefits over a traditional multi-tenant data center, along with the security advantages of a private, customer-owned site."

At roughly 45 ft by 21 ft, each KeyBlock is pre-fabricated in a factory, and then customized to meet customer requirements for power, cooling, network and security. Each module offers atomic, consistent, isolated and durable (ACID) power services ranging from 100 watts to 400 watts per square foot. Cooling units in each KeyBlock are complemented by a hot-air containment system designed like two horizontal chimneys situated alongside each server rack aisle. Custom SLAs for power, cooling, and redundancy are available depending on an individual company's needs.