WSJ REPORTS ON DATA CENTER WORKERS

The Monday (Sept. 21) issue of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) included a story titled “What It’s Like to Work in a Data Center.”
 
The article reports that data centers hire security guards, technicians for cable setups, supply-chain personnel to source material and engineers to monitor technical problems.
 
Data center personnel must make frequent equipment checks to ensure the equipment is not overheating, that no cracks have developed in cooling tubes, and that lighting and power transformers are working properly.
 
The most important role for data center personnel is keeping the centers running with little to virtually no downtime. Constant vigilance is required to ensure servers and all facility operation equipment are properly serviced and maintained.
 
There are approximately 2,700 operational data-center facilities in the U.S., reported by industry data center provider Data Center Map. Nearly 400 more are under construction nationwide and Data Center Map estimates that at least 1,500 are in the planning stages.
 
Research by Data Center Map shows that hourly data center employees for maintenance and installation work receive a 42% premium compared with similar jobs at other kinds of businesses.
 
Data Center Map reports that these mission-critical around-the-clock facilities need employees with a mix of technical training, safety discipline and hands-on experience which is in short supply in this fast-growing industry.