Continent 8 making an impact in Atlantic City

New Jersey media reports Wednesday indicate that the US division of Isle of Man-based data centre provider Continent 8 is on the threshold of making a $5 million investment in New Jersey to build a major data centre.

The reports claim that such a centre will have capacity and bandwidth to handle sports betting, along with large eSports events in Atlantic City, and could be used by a variety of other industries as well.

The company is expected to make an official announcement on the plans next week, with construction set to begin in autumn, and an operational date scheduled for Q1-2019.

The media reports quote Michael Tobin, CEO of Continent 8, who said that technology can aid a number of industries, further helping Atlantic City diversify its economic base.

“We see the building of an independent data centre in Atlantic City as a critical part of infrastructure that does not yet exist, for any job or company using technology in South Jersey,” Tobin said.

The company already has locations in Newark and the Ocean Resort Casino and Caesars Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, connecting New Jersey with more than 30 locations across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and providing private connectivity and the ability for companies in these areas to expand globally.

The new data centre will apparently be constructed at the Atlantic City Convention Center, which is currently underutilised. In June, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) board of directors approved entering into a lease with Continent 8 Technologies for space at the Center, and Marshall Spevak, deputy executive director at the CRDA, expects the papers will be signed soon.

“We are excited to have an internationally known leader in the tech space building a real presence in Atlantic City,” he said. “Having a company like Continental 8 operating in Atlantic City allows us to continue to attract new businesses and conventions to the city who will know we have an internationally recognized company with the technological infrastructure in place to host them.”

Tobin revealed that the data centre will be powered through solar panels already available at the Centre. He said that his company has the capability to serve nearby banks, hospitals, casinos, universities, airports and more from its data centre in Atlantic City.

“Atlantic City is rejuvenating and reinventing itself,” Tobin said. “There are companies that I am quite sure will want to come and run their digital marketing operations here because of the quality of life, the less-expensive taxes and the proximity to both Philadelphia and New York City.

“The push to become a wired city will open up economic development opportunities for the entire South Shore region.”