C Spire, a Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company, has been selected as a partner to provide a portfolio of data center colocation and accompanying cloud-based information technology (IT) solutions to Mississippi state and local agencies.
The five-year contract approved by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) gives public entities access to a broad range of services available through C Spire’s newest, purpose-built and Uptime Institute-certified Tier 3 commercial data center.
C Spire’s data center meets SOC, HIPAA and PCI requirements and uses premium providers on all critical systems. The 23,800 square foot colocation facility is located on a 6.5-acre site at the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park in Starkville, Mississippi.
To best serve state agencies and other local government entities, a technical architecture will guide use of the C Spire commercial data center to be optimized in conjunction with the full utilization of the State Data Center operated by ITS. Funded by the Mississippi Legislature and completed in 2011, the State Data Center, a 24 x 365 operation, has over 12,000 square feet of raised floor, environmental controls and robust technology in a hardened, resilient and secure environment.
The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services provides for the effective planning, development and operation of “innovative, economical, efficient and effective” information technologies for state government agencies and education entities.
