google data center virtual tour

Google Data Center 360° Tour

Greg wilson.

Director, Developer Advocacy

We’re excited to share the Google Data Center 360° Tour — a YouTube 360° video that gives you an unprecedented and immersive look inside one of our data centers.

There are several ways to view this video:

• On desktop using Google Chrome — use your mouse or trackpad to change your view while the video plays
• YouTube app on mobile — move your device around to look at all angles while the video plays
• And the most immersive way to view — using Google Cardboard (currently supported by the Android YouTube app only, iOS support is coming soon!) Load the video in the YouTube app and tap on the Cardboard icon when the video starts to play. Insert your phone in Cardboard and look around.

A little background . . . Several months ago, those of us on the Google Cloud Developer Advocacy Team had a rare opportunity to tour the Google data center in The Dalles, Oregon. Many of us had seen other non-Google data centers in our careers, but this experience was beyond anything we ever imagined. We were blown away by the scale, the incredible attention to security and privacy, and the amazing efforts to make the data center extremely efficient and green. Additionally, we were proud to meet some of the brilliant people that design, build and maintain these data centers.

If you are a Google Cloud Platform customer, then this is your data center as much as it is our data center, so we want you to experience what we experienced.

We hope you enjoy it!

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Take a 360-degree video tour of Google's Oregon data center

Grab a google cardboard and take in the sights..

Google's latest 360-degree video provides a virtual tour of its data center in The Dalles, Oregon. We've seen glimpses of Google's server farms before, through Street View and other high-res photography, but this new upload offers a better sense of immersion. It's also presented by Sandeep, one of Google's developer advocates, who explains each room and interviews some of the data center staff. The video is highly curated, but there are some fascinating shots and tidbits, including a biometric eye scanner that every employee has to pass through. There's also a monstrous hard drive shredder and a look at Google's colorful mechanical equipment room.

You can watch the video on YouTube in your browser, clicking around to change the perspective, or with a VR headset like Google Cardboard .

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Google Data Center Now Open for a Virtual Tour

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Google usually keeps the contents of its data centers closed to prying eyes to protect the security of user data, and that’s meant that few outsiders have seen the innards of Google’s technological wonders.

That changed literally overnight when Google unveiled a new virtual tour of the insides of its data centers so it could show off some of the technological innovations and highlights that help run its global operations.

“Today, for the first time, you can see inside our data centers and pay them a virtual visit,” wrote Urs Hölzle, the company’s senior vice president of technical infrastructure, in an Oct. 17 post on the Google Official Blog . “On Where the Internet lives , our new site featuring beautiful photographs by Connie Zhou, you’ll get a never-before-seen look at the technology, the people and the places that keep Google running.”

On-site tours of the data centers are generally a rarity, wrote Hölzle. “Very few people have stepped inside Google’s data centers, and for good reason: Our first priority is the privacy and security of your data, and we go to great lengths to protect it, keeping our sites under close guard. While we’ve shared many of our designs and best practices, and we’ve been publishing our efficiency data since 2008, only a small set of employees have access to the server floor itself.”

The new data center image collection is extensive, colorful and exhaustive, including photos of brightly colored cooling pipes, dramatically-lit server racks and exterior shots of the facilities where the hardware and Google teams are located around the world.

Also visible are new Google Street View images, and a YouTube guided tour, of the company’s Lenoir, N.C., data center so that online visitors can explore its high-tech guts.

“Fourteen years ago, back when Google was a student research project, [co-founders] Larry [Page] and Sergey [Brin] powered their new search engine using a few cheap, off-the-shelf servers stacked in creative ways ,” wrote Hölzle. “We’ve grown a bit since then, and we hope you enjoy this glimpse at what we’ve built.”

In an interview with eWEEK , Joe Kava, Google’s senior director of data center construction and operations, said that the virtual tour was created to “shed some light on the technology and the innovations in a way that doesn’t jeopardize our customers’ information and security.”

Google gets hundreds of requests each year for facility tours, but they are typically rejected.

In the virtual tour, though, the company can highlight the innovative water cooling systems in its Hamina, Finland, and St. Ghislain, Belgium, facilities. The Finland facility uses readily-available seawater for cooling, while the Belgium data center construction included a water treatment plant so that water from an adjacent industrial canal can be cleaned and used in place of potable water supplies, said Kava.

“We really look at every needed data center build as a kind of blank slate,” said Kava. “We look at the natural environment nearby, the climate where it is located and at what other resources are available to determine what to build. Every data center is a unique opportunity to make it as efficient as possible and to bring in new innovations.”

Some areas of Google’s data centers, however, such as rooms filled with commercial networking equipment, look just like those in traditional data centers but employ best practices, said Kava.

Google has nine operating data centers around the world, including six in the United States and three in Europe. Three new facilities are being built in Asia, while one new data center is under construction in Latin America.

The company’s data centers are often in the news.

In September, Google announced that it would soon start buying green wind power for its expanding data center in Mayes County, Okla., as the search company continues to grow its use of renewable, green energy at its facilities.

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Ironically, Google’s strict privacy policies about refusing data center tours are particularly interesting in light of the company’s privacy policies regarding its handling of user data.

The company is again being sharply criticized lately by European officials about how the search engine giant uses the data it collects about its online users who employ their extensive services.

“Google’s efforts to track users across services such as YouTube and Gmail do not meet European standards of privacy, officials announced Tuesday,” according to an Oct. 15 story in The Washington Post .

Regulators from 27 countries have signed a letter and sent it to Google asking the company “to give users more notice about how their data are collected and seek consent in some cases,” The Post reported.

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Want to visit Google's data center in Oregon? Just pick up the nearest Google Cardboard

“Several months ago, those of us on the Google Cloud Developer Advocacy Team had a rare opportunity to tour the Google data center in The Dalles, Oregon,” reports Google’s Greg Wilson . “Many of us had seen other non-Google data centers in our careers, but this experience was beyond anything we ever imagined. We were blown away by the scale, the incredible attention to security and privacy, and the amazing efforts to make the data center extremely efficient and green.”

The result from this visit to Google’s facility is a virtual tour thrown up on YouTube (8:29). The clip is best viewed using Chrome for desktop, the YouTube app for mobile devices, or Google Cardboard . For the latter option, users simply load up the YouTube app and tap on the Cardboard icon when the video starts to play. Unfortunately, this only works on the Android version for now – Apple iOS support is on the way.

According to the video, most Google employees aren’t even granted access to the facility. During the presentation, viewers using the Chrome browser can grab the screen with just a mouse click and look up, look down, and even turn a full circle while the guide explains hardware and speaks with the locals.

Google opened the data center in The Dalles back in 2006. According to the company, it invested $1.2 billion into the facility and created more than 80 full-time jobs. Google chose the site because The Dalles provides plenty of land for expansions, lots of people to hire, and the local energy infrastructure. There’s reportedly also special enterprise zone tax deals that exempt Google’s computers from local property tax, and a sales tax exemption provided by the state.

The launch of Google’s virtual tour of the facility arrives alongside the Google NEXT 2016 event in San Francisco, which opened its doors on Wednesday. There, individuals of the Google Cloud Platform community have gathered together to check out the latest in cloud technology development.

If you’re wanting to check out the facility in Google Cardboard, you’ll need to get started by seeing what’s available on Amazon here . We’ve tested the $13 kit provided by JoyGeek, and it works great. Google boasts that Cardboard is the best way to experience its 360-degree tour.

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Go on a virtual 360-degree Google Data Center tour

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A first look into Google’s Data Center in Dallas, Oregon

This is the first time Google has allowed cameras inside any of their Data Centers.

On top of that they have created a unique 360° experience that you can see here online or through the Google Cardboard viewer. Google suggests using Google Cardboard to get the best experience. View away!

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Google Data Center 360° Tour

Take a Google data center tour in 360° -- brought to you by the Google Cloud Platform team. 

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Google Data Center

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• Google Data center 360-degree tour

Google offers a VR tour of a data center, 360° view in Cardboard, mobile & desktop Chrome

Very few people are allowed inside one of Google’s data centers , but you can at least take a virtual tour thanks to a 360° video. We should warn that the narration is basically just one extended plug for the company’s technology, but it’s fun to take a look around.

The 360° view is available on both mobile and desktop platforms …

Google recommends Cardboard for the full benefit, but it also works in the YouTube app on most of today’s Android devices, as well as in the desktop version of the Chrome browser. The Google Store started selling Cardboard and other VR viewers last month .

The company notes that 360° videos are not yet supported in the iOS version of the YouTube app, but that support is ‘coming soon.’

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Google Gives You A 360° Virtual Tour Of Its Oregon Data Center

Alex Hernandez | January 23, 2017 March 29, 2016 Tech , Google

It takes massive amounts of computing power to run a tech company the size of Google and they have data centers that are running 24/7/365. It’s hard to imagine the enormity of those data centers and what it takes to run them. To give us a behind the scenes look, Google has set up a 360° virtual tour  of their Oregon Data Center to show exactly what life is like inside the facility that houses data for billions of people. The video below is pretty awesome (minus the obvious scripted dialogue and bad acting). Google suggests you watch this video in 4K and even better, use Google Cardboard for the best experience. So if you have your smartphone handy and some sort of VR device, fire up YouTube and take a look at the video below. You can also use Google Chrome and navigate around using the arrow pad on the video itself.

The Oregon Data Center is just one of Google’s many data centers that provide services like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Play Store and much more, here’s the list of every Google Data Center (that is listed publicly).

• Berkeley County, South Carolina
• Council Bluffs, Iowa
• Douglas County, Georgia
• Jackson County, Alabama
• Lenoir, North Carolina
• Mayes County, Oklahoma
• Montgomery County, Tennessee
• Quilicura, Chile
• The Dalles, Oregon
• Changhua County, Taiwan
• Dublin, Ireland
• Eemshaven, Netherlands
• Hamina, Finland
• St Ghislain, Belgium

Data centers take a lot of work to maintain and even after watching that video it’s hard to imagine the hours Google workers put in to maintain these facilities. Everything from cleaning to maintaining the servers is an intensive job. We all just cross our fingers that the computer security team is working hard to keep hackers from gaining access to that plethora of user data.

What did you think of Google’s Oregon Data Center? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Last Updated on January 23, 2017.

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Take a virtual tour of Google’s Oregon data center

The dalles data center in oregon is open for a digital tour.

Data centers are typically high-security locations and operators don’t like you snooping around, but Google is giving users a look at one of its latest and most advanced data centers using virtual reality.

The tour of Google’s data center in The Dalles, Oregon, was published to coincide with the company’s Google Compute Summit, which starts Wednesday in San Francisco.

Google is trying to entice more customers to its cloud services, to compete better with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, and showing off its advanced facilities might help with that goal.

The tour is best viewed in a virtual reality headset, like Google Cardboard, but you can also see it on a plan old smartphone or desktop. On a phone you can look around by moving the handset. On a desktop, you use the mouse.

The video is available in up to 4K resolution with subtitles in several languages.

The tour was published as Google is about to begin construction of a fourth data center in Oregon.

The company said last week it would invest $600 million in a new data center, and groundbreaking at that site is scheduled for Thursday, according to The Oregonian .

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Martyn Williams produces technology news and product reviews in text and video for PC World, Macworld, and TechHive from his home outside Washington D.C.. He previously worked for IDG News Service as a correspondent in San Francisco and Tokyo and has reported on technology news from across Asia and Europe.

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Data Centers and Infrastructure

Our newest investments in infrastructure and AI skills

Apr 26, 2024

[[read-time]] min read

We are announcing an investment in internet infrastructure in the U.S., as well as a $75 million AI Opportunity Fund and Google AI Essentials Course.

One of the reasons I am proud to work at Google is our mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Google’s mission is as relevant now as it was 25 years ago when the company was founded. That is why, today, we are announcing a series of new investments in technical infrastructure and social impact — helping us to deliver our mission.

Investing in our U.S. data center campuses

The information that we deliver to people around the world — through Google Search, YouTube, Maps and our many other products — is supported by our infrastructure. Data centers keep our products and services running around the clock and around the world, and power Google’s AI innovation.

Today, Google is announcing $3 billion in investments to build or expand our data center campuses in Virginia and Indiana.

• Virginia: We’re investing an additional $1 billion, with plans to expand our three existing Virginia data center campuses — bringing our total investment to date in the state to more than $4 billion.
• Indiana: In the Midwest, we announced a $2 billion investment in our newest data center campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Announcing Google.org’s $75M AI Opportunity Fund

Fulfilling our mission is about more than delivering infrastructure and enabling access to information — it is also about helping people grow their skills, businesses, and careers.

Together with our partners, we want to make sure everyone can take advantage of the opportunities AI will provide.

That’s why today we are announcing a $75 million Google AI Opportunity Fund , made possible with support from Google.org , our philanthropic arm. Through this fund, Google.org will work with nonprofit, education, and other sectors to train one million Americans of all backgrounds and provide them with AI skills at no cost.

Alongside the fund, today we are launching the Google AI Essentials course , built by Grow with Google and AI experts from Google’s Research, Technology & Society team and across the company. The course will help teach foundational skills to workers and allow participants to gain essential AI skills to apply in their daily life.

Two of the first recipients of the Google AI Opportunity Fund will be the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Goodwill.

• IVMF: With this grant, IVMF will be able to reach more than 1,800 veterans and military families with the AI Essentials Course , and enroll more than 2,000 in the Google Cybersecurity Certificate program, expanding upon our joint efforts to help our nation’s veterans achieve post-service success.
• Goodwill: Since Goodwill began offering Google’s digital skills programs in 2017, 400,000 Americans have completed training and since been placed into well-paying jobs. With over 80% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Goodwill, the organization will help Google provide AI training at scale and provide the AI Essentials Course to local communities at no cost, reaching people with disabilities and disadvantages, youth, older workers, veterans, military families and people impacted by the justice system.

Beyond the nonprofit sector, Google is also joining forces with employers, such as Citigroup, and educational institutions, such as Miami Dade College, to expand access to AI skilling programs.

Together with our partners, Google brings a sustained commitment to developing talent who can benefit from, and add to, this growing digital economy. Today’s grants and infrastructure investments will help those living in Virginia and Indiana, veterans, and millions of others make the most of the opportunities of today and tomorrow.

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Combatting child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) is profoundly important work for Google. We’ve invested significant resources in building detection technology, tra…

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Data Center Impact Assessment – Netherlands

A Google data center is more than a bustling hub where your Gmail and YouTube videos live. It is also the driver behind economic, social, and environmental impacts to our communities. Google’s Data Center Impact Assessment dives into how our Netherlands-based data centers realize these benefits, unifying these critical dimensions into a groundbreaking, holistic report. It marks a pivotal leap in Google's ongoing journey toward accountability and transparency, bridging the gap between innovation and responsibility. Nederlandse versie

Data Center Impact Assessment – Virginia

A Google data center is more than a bustling hub where your Gmail and YouTube videos live. It is also the driver behind economic, social, and environmental impacts to our communities. Google’s Data Center Impact Assessment dives into how our Virginia-based data centers realize these benefits, unifying these critical dimensions into a groundbreaking, holistic report. It marks a pivotal leap in Google's ongoing journey toward accountability and transparency, bridging the gap between innovation and responsibility.

How data centers benefit your community

Have you ever wondered how digital devices are able to connect us to the world? Data centers are the engines that power the technology that make it all happen. And they also play a valuable role in building a growing, connected, and sustainable community and world for everyone. Watch this short video to learn how Google data centers are building the necessary infrastructure for tomorrow while taking bold action to protect the environment and investing in the communities around us.

A smarter way to buy clean energy

Accelerating clean energy growth on the electrical grid is urgent if we want to help keep the planet under 1.5°C of warming. A big issue holding this growth back is the length of time it takes to complete a clean energy deal. That’s why Google partnered to develop a smarter and faster approach to closing these deals. Dive into how it works, and take a behind-the-scenes look at our process for developing what we believe will become a new standard. Learn more at goo.gle/cleanenergy.

Our environmental report

Learn how we’re driving environmental benefits throughout our business in three key ways: developing products and technology that empower individuals on their journey to a more sustainable life; working together with partners and organizations everywhere to transition to resilient, carbon-free systems; and operating our business more sustainably. Google’s 2023 Environmental Report is a chance for us to reflect on these benefits, the lessons we’ve learned along the way, and the opportunities and challenges we see ahead.

Our podcast returns, sharing how data centers benefit the greater community

Where the Internet Lives – our podcast about the fascinating world of data centers and the technology, people, and places that make the internet run – is back. Seasons 1 and 2 taught us about data centers and showcased the interesting people who work in them. Listen to Season 3 to learn how data centers provide powerful economic, social, and environmental benefits to communities around the globe, led by passionate experts inside and outside Google. Listen here .

An animated video series highlighting data center innovation

Discovering Data Centers is an animated video series about the innovation behind Google data centers. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the technological intricacies that ensure Google data centers work globally and at massive scale, and see how design, technology, operations, and sustainability layer together to make data centers so fascinating. Watch Seasons 1 and 2 here .

Stories from the data center capital of the world

Google is proud to operate multiple data centers in Northern Virginia – a global hub of the digital economy – and to support community organizations there that are changing lives. Meet two inspiring local organizations , Global Inheritance and Mobile Hope, which we’ve partnered with to introduce more young women to STEM and to combat youth homelessness.

Our commitment to water stewardship

Google is pledging to a water stewardship target to replenish more water than we consume by 2030 and support water security in communities where we operate. This means Google aims to replenish 120% of the freshwater volume we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers.

Full steam ahead on 24/7 carbon-free energy

We're tapping into a first-of-its-kind geothermal project that will add "always on" clean energy to the electric grid near our Nevada data centers. Advancements in clean technologies like firm geothermal, combined with carbon-intelligent computing at our data centers, are helping us get closer to 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.

Cleaner data centers, batteries included

We’re installing the first battery-based system to replace generators at a hyperscale data center . The system will help keep our users’ searches, emails, and videos on the move – without the pollution associated with burning diesel, while also being available as an asset that strengthens the electric grid.

Realizing a carbon-free future

We are the first major company to make a commitment to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy in all our data centers and campuses worldwide – and we’re working to get it done by 2030. Learn from CEO Sundar Pichai about our continued commitment to go carbon-free .

Inside a Google data center

Ride along on a tour of a Google data center , listen in on a chat with vice president Joe Kava, and learn about the six layers of physical security that help keep user data safe and secure.

Our data centers now work harder when the sun shines and the wind blows

A new advancement in our quest for 24/7 carbon-free energy is a carbon-intelligent computing platform . This first-of-its kind system for our hyperscale data centers shifts the timing of flexible compute tasks to align with times when low-carbon power sources are most plentiful.

Data centers are more efficient than ever

Even as demand for cloud computing has skyrocketed, energy efficiency improvements have kept electricity usage almost flat across the globe’s data centers. How are we squeezing more work out of every electron? The answer comes down to our relentless quest to eliminate energy waste in all of our operations.

Google's European infrastructure

Digital transformation is a defining challenge and opportunity for the European economy. Copenhagen Economics' 2019 study details Google’s efforts to support Europe's economy while remaining energy efficient.

Unleashing digital opportunities in Europe

Plans to invest €3 billion to expand our data centers across Europe over the next two years will bring our total investment in Europe’s internet infrastructure to €15 billion since 2007. Our investments generate economic activity for the region and support more than 13,000 full-time jobs in the EU every year.

Our biggest renewable energy purchase ever

Google has made the biggest corporate purchase of renewable energy in history , which will also spur the construction of more than $2 billion in new energy infrastructure, including millions of solar panels and hundreds of wind turbines spread across three continents.

100% renewable energy, for the second year in a row

In 2017, we first reached our longstanding goal of buying enough renewable energy to match 100% of Google’s global annual electricity use. During 2018, our purchases of energy from sources like solar and wind once again matched our entire annual electricity consumption.

Google Data Centers and community

At Google we care about the communities where we work and live. Our data centers help keep the internet up and running 24/7 while supporting local economies and job creation. Learn about their positive impact in the Oxford Economics report for the US and in the Copenhagen Economics report for Europe.

100% renewable energy — just the beginning

In 2017 we achieved a great milestone: purchasing 100% renewable energy to match consumption for global operations, including our data centers and offices. But we’re also working to make the electricity supply greener as a whole — not just for us, but for everyone.

Introducing the Data Center Mural Project

Data centers play an important role in our everyday lives, so we asked four artists to reimagine the exterior walls of our data centers in Oklahoma, Iowa, Ireland, and Belgium. Watch videos that tell the stories of how these artists were inspired to bring a bit of the magic from the inside to the outside.

Virtual reality tour inside a Google Data Center

People often ask what’s inside a Google Data Center. In this 360° virtual tour (taken at The Dalles, Oregon), you can see where the Google Cloud lives and the numerous high security measures we use to protect not only customer data but our own custom-made infrastructure.

Harnessing our data to drive efficiency

In our ongoing pursuit of extreme efficiency, we've developed software that optimizes our data centers by predicting and guiding our energy use. In 2014, we shared our model so that others could follow suit and enhance their data center efficiency in similar ways.

Increasing access to renewable energy

As demand for renewable energy increases, we’ve been working with electricity providers on scalable solutions that increase the supply of clean energy. In 2013, we partnered with Duke Energy to pilot a new type of arrangement that lets companies buy renewable energy directly from the utility.

Showing what we're made of — inside and out

For a rare glimpse into where we run our products – like Search, YouTube, Gmail, Drive, and Photos, browse our photo gallery of the technology, people, and places that keep Google's products running 24/7.

Certifying our high environmental standards

In 2011, we became the first major internet services company to gain external certification of our high environmental and workplace standards throughout our US and European data centers, reinforcing our commitment to take care of the environment and our employees.

Adding renewable energy to our communities

We aim to use as much clean energy as possible, but we’re limited by a grid with few renewable options. In 2010, we started buying renewable energy from wind farms near our data centers. In doing so, we're adding new clean power for our data centers and greening the electricity where we operate.

Sharing what we've learned

In 2009, we brought together our peers to discuss how we can all make the industry greener and more efficient. This was followed by an event on efficiency targets across geographies and climates, and a summit exploring the environmental impact and benefits of the internet.

Disclosing industry-leading efficiency

Most companies don’t talk about their real-world efficiency. In 2008, we started sharing our efficiency performance to help push the industry forward. Since then, we've continued to publish detailed, comprehensive data for all of our data centers.

Becoming the first carbon neutral internet company

Our data centers use much less energy than the average data center, and if you add our renewable energy use and carbon offsets, our footprint is zero. We’ve been carbon neutral since 2007, and we’re happy to see that other tech companies have followed in our footsteps.

Designing efficient data centers

In 2003, we designed portable data centers: shipping containers pre-packed with servers and cooling equipment, which were easier to assemble and more energy efficient. By 2006, we moved to newer designs that provided the same benefits, but with greater flexibility.

Pioneering highly efficient servers

We've been designing our own custom servers to minimize their energy use since 2001. By using highly efficient power supplies and putting batteries directly onto the machines, we've built some of the most efficient servers in the industry.

How to Market Your Data Center with Virtual Tours

Marketing data centers come with a number of inherent challenges. Simply put, potential clients may not have a comprehensive idea of what your facilities actually enable them to do, or what added benefits they can receive beyond the simple ability to store their data securely and remotely.

And yet, the need for data centers is increasing every year, as evidenced by the booming data center industry . At a compound annual growth rate of nearly 5% until at least 2027, that trend is not about to stop anytime soon. The result is increased competition, making it even more important for your data center to stand out and promote your unique benefits to clients.

This makes an effective promotional strategy a top priority for data centers regardless of both size and location. And while that promotional strategy has to be comprehensive , finding the right informational and visual assets will become a core component of it.

That’s where virtual 360-degree tours enter the equation. Employed the right way, and promoted through the right channels, they take the mystery out of data centers. Virtual tours allow potential clients to learn as much as they need to about your data center’s brand and services before making a decision on where to store their vital business information.

More specifically, 360-degree tours help to market your data center in three ways: visually, informationally, and locationally. Let’s dive into each of these aspects to show the power of the medium in this application.

The visual advantages of virtual tours

Perhaps most obviously, 360-degree tours are a visual medium that allows your audiences to get an in-depth look into how your data center looks. Take the tour for CyrusOne Chicago Aurora II , and you will be able to visit a number of stops that give you an idea of the facilities available:

• An exterior view of the building and front door entrance, providing a sense of the scope of the data center you’re about to tour.
• The data center’s lobby, showing both the security desk and the secure entrances to provide a sense of privacy and data security.
• Conference and break rooms that showcase what potential clients might be able to expect on a specific site visit.
• The data hall and equipment gallery, allowing technology-proficient clients to investigate the hardware.
• Office spaces available for any on-site staff that clients might want to depose to the site for active data management.
• The security facilities to provide more in-depth, behind-the-scenes views at the space in which dedicated personnel work to keep all data safe.

Of course, this case study showcases just some of the many potential stops a data center could highlight. If you have a specific idea of the spaces you want to showcase, build them out as a stop to provide prospects and customers a virtual and visual look without visiting physically.

Beyond the stops themselves, virtual tours also allow data centers to customize their visuals to showcase their brand. INAP Atlanta, for instance, leverages hot spots to show another relevant photo to visitors. INAP Phoenix also uses hot spots , while adding custom-branded buttons that allow visitors and potential clients to take natural next steps in their customer journey.

The informational benefits of virtual tours

Beyond the visual advantages outlined above, virtual tours can also communicate in-depth information about your data center.

For each stop, 360-degree tour managers have these options:

• Include narrative text in the bottom-right box for the stop.
• Include audio narration for the stop.
• Include both, to have narration of the typed text.

The key here is not just describing what audiences already see on screen, but using the text on each stop to tell a comprehensive story of the kinds of services your data center provides. Use it as an opportunity to dive deep into your data security measures, the amenities your data center provides, and more.

INAP Redondo Beach , for instance, uses the first stop as a general introduction before digging deeper into topics like security, staff well-being, and customization options in subsequent stops. Each narration includes both a general overview and in-depth details about the types of equipment, space available, and more. As such, it provides valuable information for all types of organizations and levels of expertise potential clients might bring to the table.

The informational components of your virtual tour are also an opportunity to improve your search engine optimization. Naturally integrate keywords into the text to more prominently position your data center on these keywords in relevant search results.

Finally, even all of the narrative spaces within the data center may not be enough to tell the full story. In that case, you can integrate links to your website for more information at the top of your tour, as INAP has done by prominently placing its logo at the top left of the tour. Clients who want to learn more after viewing your tour now have a natural “off-ramp” to continue on their customer journey by visiting your website, scheduling in-person site visits, and more.

The locational highlights of virtual tours

Finally, virtual tours can promote your data center by showing its location clearly to all visitors.

Although the location of your data center isn’t vital to store data, potential clients may still be interested in exactly where your data center is located for one of two reasons:

• The necessity for frequent site visits or on-site work. Large businesses may either want to regularly visit and inspect the data center or dispatch one of their employees to the physical center.
• Comfort level with a nearby physical location. Especially new clients who need a data center may be more comfortable with their data being stored close to their location. Understanding what that proximity looks like can help in their decision to work with a given data center.

Fortunately, virtual tours can play a significant role in communicating location as well. Most importantly, they have the option to include a map that integrates with Google Maps, allowing visitors to see exactly where in the world (or where in the United States) the data center is located. The map can easily expand and, through its Google integration, even serves as a starting point for directions to prepare for on-site visits.

Beyond that, the visual and informational abilities outlined above can also contribute to a clearer locational communication. For instance, one tour stop can extend beyond the property to include the industrial park or nearby amenities of the data center, expanding the scope for potential clients looking for context. And of course, stop descriptions and integrated links can also serve as opportunities to discuss the location in more detail.

Turning virtual tours into a centerpiece of data center marketing

Without a doubt, and to be at their best, virtual tours are only a part of a larger marketing strategy for your data center. However, just what place they occupy within that strategy can be a major game-changer. When deployed as a centerpiece of visuals and information for potential clients, they have the potential to maximize your efforts in attracting new clients and growing your presence.

That’s because virtual tours, like 360° Tour from Concept3D, combine visual and informational content in a unique way. They immerse audiences into the visual experience, communicating in-depth technical information to engage relevant audiences.

Concept3D’s experience in both 360° virtual tours and working with data centers will be a major advantage for any potential partnerships. Our solutions can help you communicate the appropriate information and help you market your data center more effectively. Ready to learn more? Contact us to start the conversation about a potential partnership.

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Google plans to invest $2 billion to build data center in northeast Indiana, officials say

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Google plans to invest $2 billion to build a data center in northeastern Indiana that will help power its artificial intelligence technology and cloud business, company and state officials said Friday.

The data center planned for Fort Wayne was announced in January. But Google disclosed the project’s cost Friday and said it is expected to create up to new 200 jobs, including data center technicians and support services, The Journal Gazette reported.

The data center in the city about 120 miles (190 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis will help power Google’s “AI innovations and growing Google Cloud business for customers across the world,” Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office said in a news release.

Google said the new data center will join a network of Google-owned-and-operated data centers across the globe that “keep the internet humming” and power digital services such as Google Cloud, Gmail, Search and Maps.

“Together, Fort Wayne and Google will help power the digital future, including AI innovation across our enterprise and consumer services,” said Joe Kava, Google’s vice president of data centers.

Friday’s announcement came one day after Amazon’s cloud computing unit Amazon Web Services said it plans to invest $11 billion to build a data center in northern Indiana near the town of New Carlisle, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of South Bend. That project is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs.

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April 27, 2024

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Google plans to invest $2 billion to build data center in northeast Indiana, officials say

Google plans to invest $2 billion to build a data center in northeastern Indiana that will help power its artificial intelligence technology and cloud business, company and state officials said Friday.

The data center planned for Fort Wayne was announced in January. But Google disclosed the project's cost Friday and said it is expected to create up to new 200 jobs, including data center technicians and support services , The Journal Gazette reported.

The data center in the city about 120 miles (190 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis will help power Google's "AI innovations and growing Google Cloud business for customers across the world," Gov. Eric Holcomb's office said in a news release.

Google said the new data center will join a network of Google-owned-and-operated data centers across the globe that "keep the internet humming" and power digital services such as Google Cloud, Gmail, Search and Maps.

"Together, Fort Wayne and Google will help power the digital future, including AI innovation across our enterprise and consumer services," said Joe Kava, Google's vice president of data centers.

Friday's announcement came one day after Amazon's cloud computing unit Amazon Web Services said it plans to invest $11 billion to build a data center in northern Indiana near the town of New Carlisle, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of South Bend. That project is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs.

© 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Google announces $1 billion investment to expand data center campuses in northern Virginia

by Nick Minock

RESTON, Va. (7News) — On Friday, Google announced the company is expanding data centers in northern Virginia.

“Google has called Virginia home for more than 15 years now,” said Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet and Google.

Google plans to invest $1 billion in data center expansion this year in Virginia, and on Friday, Google announced $75 million for AI workforce development initiatives to help over one million Americans learn essential AI skills.

Google has two data centers in Loudoun County.

“And today, I’m really pleased to announce that we are investing [an] additional $1 billion in Virginia to expand those campuses and to add a third data center in Prince William County,” said Porat.

"Today is a great day. We’ve got a $1 billion investment in the commonwealth,” said Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

READ | Prince William County approves world's largest data center project amid 27-hour debate

Youngkin joined Google executives for the announcement in Reston.

“Virginia is the global hub for data centers unlike any other place in the world,” Youngkin said. “We are larger than the next five US markets combined. We are larger than the next four global markets combined.”

On Friday, Youngkin spoke about the benefits of data centers for local communities.

ALSO READ | Prince William County residents sue county over recently approved Bristow, Va. data center

“$2.2 billion of wages are paid to Virginians associated with our data center ecosystem,” said Youngkin. “$1 billion in local revenue that funds an immense investment in schools and public services and social services. And in Loudoun County alone, 25% of these essential services are funded by the data community.”

Data center expansion has been a controversial topic in both Loudoun County and Prince William County.

RELATED | 'You got to fight:' Prince William Co. woman organizes lawsuit against county for data center proposal

In recent years, Loudoun County and Prince William County residents have spoken out about data center expansion.

And recently, County Supervisors and County Chairs in Loudoun and Prince William Counties have been critical of data center expansion.

7News asked Google if they need approval from the Board of Supervisors in Loudoun County or Prince William County to expand.

MORE | Warrenton residents demand more answers on Amazon data center project

“We are excited to grow our data center presence in Loudoun and Prince William and are working with the local municipalities on all of the necessary permits and approvals to support our operations. Our Loudoun sites are located near Arcola and Leesburg, both of which are in the overlay district as designated by the county," a Google spokesperson told 7News.

After the announcement, Gov. Youngkin was asked about the pushback on data center development in northern Virginia.

“I think that community engagement around data center development is hugely important,” said Youngkin. “I do believe that there really is a requirement for local leadership at the board of supervisors or city council levels to be very responsive to their citizens and again to be very transparent, and to work with the data center community to express their concerns and to allow people to react to them. This should be a very open communication."

“Google’s announcement today of a $1 billion investment in our Virginia data centers brings our total investments across the state to more than $4 billion,” said Porat. “In addition, our AI Essentials Course and $75 million Google.org AI Opportunity Fund will help provide access to the economic opportunities AI can offer. Together with our partners and community-led organizations, Google is committed to delivering targeted AI skilling and training so that Virginians, veterans, and millions of others can make the most of the opportunities of today and tomorrow.”