Corelink opens data center in Mount Prospect

CoreLink Data Centers opened a new state-of-the art center in Mount Prospect Wednesday, months after moving its headquarters from Phoenix to Mount Prospect.

Eager to show off its new facility at 800 E. Business Center Drive in hopes of building at least two to three more each year nationwide, CoreLink offered tours of its security systems with biometric scanners, fire protection and suppression systems, and other equipment.

Such centers provide space for keeping company or government agency networks, data and websites off-site in a highly secured environment.

About half of CoreLink's 40 workers are based in Mount Prospect, and 10 more workers are expected to be added in the coming year.

The new data center, part of a dramatically booming industry, is among five such centers that the company operates nationwide.

CoreLink is expected to invest about $40 million in the Mount Prospect facility once it's in full use, said CoreLink President Mike Duckett.

“The data center market continues to be strong,” Duckett said. “There's always been more demand than supply.”

Several other companies also provide data center services worldwide, including giants like AT&T and smaller companies. AT&T, which has its Midwest headquarters in Hoffman Estates, has several data centers, including one each in Lisle and Oak Brook.

GigeNet Internet Services expanded its data center business by moving from downtown Chicago to a new Arlington Heights facility.

Duckett said he doesn't mind the competition, because his data centers are “provider-neutral.” That means it serves companies that are with AT&T or other telecoms. The Mount Prospect site is expected to provide space for about 300 clients.