Continuum Data Centers has selected converged packet optical solutions from Ciena^® to connect its data center in Chicago’s western suburbs to key regional exchange points including 350 Cermak in Chicago. With Ciena’s platform, CDC will provide high-bandwidth, low latency 100G connectivity to support applications like cloud computing, storage networking and big data for service providers, financial service companies, research institutions and content delivery networks. Additionally, CDC will be able to offer carrier-grade connectivity to Tier 2 and Tier 3 networks as it builds out its peering and Internet exchange community. The deployment is expected to be completed in July 2014.

“To meet the demands of the market and our customers, we knew we needed to enhance our network with a highly scalable, best-in-class packet optical solution. The deployment of Ciena’s 6500 platform is a crucial part of our strategy to provide reliable, cost-effective, high-bandwidth connectivity for data center Interconnect and carrier-grade services,” said Eli D. Scher, chairman and CEO of Continuum Data Centers.

Continuum Data Centers is a premier, multi-tenant data center operator in the western Chicago suburbs. CDC operates an 80,000-sq-ft, purpose-built data center with N+1 configurations of all critical infrastructure. Employing multiple energy efficiency technologies, and designed to provide the highest levels of service, the CDC 603 facility has robust inherent network capabilities and power resources. CDC 603 has been certified OIX2 compliant by the Open-IX Association highlighting management’s commitment to transparency and connectivity.

CDC is deploying Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical platform equipped with WaveLogic Coherent Optical Processors and integrated switching capabilities. With this deployment, CDC will be able to offer high-speed connectivity and data center interconnect to service providers, large enterprises and peering partners.

Using the industry’s latest and most advanced coherent optical technology, the 6500 enables CDC to easily upgrade its existing fiber to 100G speeds by adding capacity and the ability to offer 100G transport. Ciena’s 6500 platform is a key component of the company’s OPⁿarchitecture which delivers the most critical network capabilities — scale, programmability, and network-level applications — to easily direct network behavior and satisfy user requirements.

This deployment further demonstrates CDC’s commitment to enhance its network to accommodate the changing needs of its customers. New Continuum recently announced that global Bandwidth Infrastructure provider Zayo Group, LLC, (“Zayo”), has extended its network into CDC’s 603 Discovery Dr. data center in Chicago’s western suburbs.