We’ve seen shipping containers used for prefab housing before, and now here’s another function to add to the list for the reclaimed industrial wonder units: deployable digital datacenters. SUN Microsystems, a tech company committed to a forward-thinking corporate eco responsibility program, has launched Project Blackbox, a virtualized, mobile, easily-deployable datacenter that delivers a slew of resources- energy, space, and performance efficiencies- to locations as diverse as deserts, disaster zones, even Mars.

Project Blackbox applies Sun’s trademark innovation, network computing infrastructure and HPC expertise to engineer out complexity and provide a better datacenter. The container is essentially a prefab tech center that offers rapid deployment, high-density computing, flexibility, scalability, and economic stimulation at a low cost and maximum efficiency. So far Blackbox has been employed in a variety of contexts- from oil rigs for seismic modeling and windmills to underdeveloped rural areas to offsite corporate locations.

Sun has proven their commitment to both green and humanitarian-focused technology and design initiatives, from their partnership with Architecture for Humanity on the Open Architecture Network to their own corporate commitment, called Eco Responsibility. Here’s a tech company that is on the cutting edge of innovation, striving to be both forward-thinking and responsible.

Microsoft is now going with servers in shipping containers for a big new data center. Except the containers are all inside. Not sure what the point is.
- jim 4-02-2008 6:56 pm [add a comment]