ViaWest has announced its participation in and support of the new 7x24 Exchange Chapter for Oregon and southwest Washington. This new chapter, led by ViaWest’s Jim Linkous, aims to promote thought leadership and best practices throughout the critical infrastructure sector.

To launch the new chapter, a 200-person VIP event will be hosted at Intel’s Jones Farm Campus on Feb. 27.  The event will feature an expert panel to discuss the major technology and business drivers behind the explosive growth in the data center industry and cloud computing. As an international association specifically geared for critical infrastructure professionals, 7x24 Exchange is known as a “knowledge exchange” and is comprised of 23 chapters across the U.S., Europe and Middle East.

“Oregon and the surrounding region has become home to many large data centers over the past few years, as it’s an area with a very high quality talent base and strong technology ecosystem,” states Jim Linkous, regional vice president sales and general manager for ViaWest. “I am proud to serve as founding president of the 7x24 Chapter for Oregon and southwest Washington, and look forward to helping the organization make powerful connections with industry peers throughout the data center sector.”

“ViaWest has always supported our local communities, and providing technology and service leadership are part of our corporate-wide initiatives,” says Nancy Phillips, president and CEO of ViaWest. “7x24 Exchange is a catalyst for positive change in the industry, and works to help navigate the many complexities data center operators face today. ViaWest looks forward to furthering its initiatives and growth.”

ViaWest’s Hillsboro data center located west of Portland, Oregon offers over 50,000 square feet of enterprise-class colocation, along with a full suite of infrastructure services.