MCLEAN, VA--(Marketwired - Jan 21, 2014) - Building on a successful 2013 inaugural campaign, the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) today announced year two for the NVTC Data Center and Cloud Infrastructure Committee (DCCIC) including details about the Committee's first meeting in 2014.

The Committee's mission is to provide a clear, collective and compelling voice for the region's data center and cloud and critical infrastructure community in an effort to contribute to the long term growth and prosperity of the industry. It examines a variety of issues and measures the impact of the data center ecosystem on regional business and job growth. This includes monthly Committee meetings with guest speakers as well as an annual gala event open to the public.

DCCIC membership encompasses the entire ecosystem of data centers and cloud hosting service providers, data center operators and equipment manufacturers, large power, network, and software providers, and a wide variety of enterprise consumers of cloud and IT infrastructure services. Committees are open to all NVTC members with more information here. 

The DCCIC's next meeting is set for January 24 at Dominion Power in Herndon. The featured speaker will be Dwight Gibbs, CEO of Contraqer, who has a rich history in both startup and Fortune 500 companies. Gibbs will address the battle for cloud supremacy between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft and the future of infrastructure hosting. He is unique in his ability to present the cloud from the perspective of both the CIO and the developer community. Anyone interested in recommending speakers for future meetings should contact Committee leaders directly.

Later this spring the DCCIC will join forces with NVTC's Cybersecurity and Privacy Committee to produce a gala event examining "Security in the Cloud." Watch the NVTC website for details. 

Locally, Northern Virginia is a global IT hub with 70% of the world's Internet traffic flowing through 50 data centers that encompass more than 7 million square feet.1 Fueled by an ideal combination of competitive and stable power rates, global network connectivity, proximity to the federal government, a robust technology sector and ready access to a highly skilled, educated workforce, Northern Virginia has emerged as a critical data center destination for some of the world's most important enterprises, such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Visa, and hundreds of other companies that are now hosting their businesses' IT in local data centers.

"The Cloud and Data Center Infrastructure Committee is addressing one of the most vital sectors in Northern Virginia," said NVTC President and CEO Bobbie Kilberg. "The data center ecosystem is far reaching, touching nearly every aspect of information technology in the area. We look forward to supporting the Committee and its focus on ensuring Northern Virginia maintains its leadership position as a destination for data center investment and job growth." 

The DCCIC is attracting members and sponsors from a growing ecosystem of IT manufacturers, suppliers and service providers that benefit from the delivery of technology and services from Northern Virginia data centers. Committee objectives include:

  • Promoting the interests of anyone with a stake in ensuring that Northern Virginia continues to be a leading global destination, not just for data centers, but also for the wider ecosystem of companies that rely on the data center as the commerce platform of the 21st century.
  • Providing educational and training programming for members and offering forums for thought leadership and the sharing of best practices.
  • Leading efforts to identify the needs of the future workforce and advocating for industry specific education programming.
  • Informing the community of the industry's vital role as a contributor to today's technology-led economy and a major factor in the prosperity and economic stability of the region.
  • Working to ensure the sustainability of the industry by thoughtfully discussing potential barriers to growth and advocating for policies that promote the overall health of the industry.

The DCCIC's founding corporate sponsors include Comcast Business Class; Latisys; Dominion Virginia Power; Schneider Electric; Carpathia Hosting; Cox Business; ePlus Group Inc.; Iron Bow Technologies; Loudoun, Virginia Economic Development; Raging Wire; tw telecom; VEDP; Windstream Hosted Solutions. The Committee is co-chaired by Buddy Rizer, Loudoun, Virginia Economic Development, and Jonathan Sharp, Vice President, Latisys.

To learn more, click here to see info about the committee, get on the email distribution list, join the monthly meetings, and attend the upcoming Committee meeting on January 24.

1. Source: Loudoun Virginia Department of Economic Development