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1623 Farnam Discusses Capacity Availability, Powerful Interconnection and More

Amidst power-hungry and capacity-guzzling applications like AI, ML and HPC use cases, the data center industry has been on a tough uphill battle as they try to keep pace with demand. Capacity shortages have run rampant across the U.S. — and across the globe — putting data center operators in a bind as they try to quickly source new space, power and capacity for customers.

Today, it’s clear that hindsight is 20/20, and that the facilities which now have power to give are the ones that saw this drastic increase in demand years before it actually happened. 1623 Farnam is one such edge data center and interconnection expert that saw the writing on the wall — and they told us all about it in a recent JSA TV interview. 

1623 Farnam Solves Capacity Blockages 

Recently, on the floor of ITW, JSA TV caught up with Bill Severn, President and CEO of Omaha-based 1623 Farnam, to discuss the state of the industry. In between meetings and panel attendance, he was able to share some critical insight into how his facility has continued to deliver capacity even despite widespread challenges like long construction lead times, tight supply chains, power grid struggles and high build costs. He notes, “Five and a half years ago…we made a bet that capacity would be really important [in the future]. So… we upgraded the entire building.” In fact, the company just recently put in the last three generators to complete this significant upgrade in January 2024. 

Yes, strong foresight and robust, preemptive foundations form the core of today’s innovations. For 1623 Farnam, that means having implemented all-new building-wide mechanical and electrical systems — just so they could be in the position to offer what they now have. Importantly, Bill notes that this long-term planning will ensure they can continue to offer capacity in the years to come even in the face of AI’s run on data centers. 

The Role of Interconnection

Still, today’s data centers need to do more than just offer space and power. They need to serve as powerful connectivity enablers that form a strong fabric of reach for agile, mobile and expanding business use cases. This is another area where 1623 Farnam, thanks to its on-site IX and rich interconnection ecosystem, excels.

Driving more and more value to everyone present at a given location means building the right mix of content, carriers and eyeball networks within the IX. Bill notes excitedly, “In 2023, we saw a fivefold increase in daily peering traffic in our IX.” This is a testament to the role it plays in customers’ and peers’ connectivity strategy — and excitingly, Bill also teased some announcements soon to come. 

So, be sure to keep an eye on 1623 Farnam as they continue to grow and innovate within the data center and connectivity space — and don’t miss the full conversation in this JSA TV!

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