AFCOM's Data Center World 2009[R] and Expo Opens in Las Vegas.

Data Center Professionals Gather to Share Economics, Energy and Security Strategies in the Data Center, Among Other Important Topics

LAS VEGAS -- AFCOM'S Data Center World 2009 and Expo (http://www.datacenterworld.com), the world's leading data center industry conference and two-day expo, officially opens today in Las Vegas, gathering more than 700 data center professionals through March 12th at the Paris Hotel and Convention Center. This year's show features educational and tutorial sessions encompassing all aspects of the data center, a keynote session by Sun's CTO Greg Papadopoulos on re-empowering IT to embrace alternative technologies like cloud, open source and virtualization, and an AFCOM Data Center Institute Board (DCI) Member & Media Lunch that will re-visit the Five Bold Predictions for the Data Center, updated to reflect the current economic times.

Today, the exhibit floor officially opens and features more than 225 of the industry's leading vendors, including Equinix, FUJIFILM, HP, Maxell, Rackable Systems, Siemens Building Technologies and Toshiba, set to highlight their latest technology advancements, products, and services. (See the Data Center World Exhibitors release for more detail).

"We've strived to make this year's bi-annual Data Center World in Las Vegas a worthwhile networking and educational event for attendees, exhibitors, the media and industry analysts alike," said Jill Eckhaus, CEO, AFCOM. "We are focused in our efforts to bring together top industry thought leaders, to provide data center professionals with the most current networking, training and educational programs available. Ultimately, our mission is to arm these professionals with the knowledge and tools to run the most efficient data centers possible at their companies."

The five-day conference kicked off on Sunday with two virtual data center tours and four concurrent tutorials focused on disaster recovery, keeping your team motivated, technology and the future of the data center, and building a new vs. expanding data center. The conference also includes more than 75 practical sessions and tutorials to give data center managers thorough training and understanding of the industry's most critical and current themes. Sessions cover topics such as the Green Data Center, Cost Savings, Security, High Performance and Data Center Efficiency, Staffing and technology such as Virtualization and Cloud Computing. For a full list of program details, please visit: http://www.datacenterworld.com/conference-details/schedule/

Data Center World 2009 Expo and Media highlights include:

Greg Papadopoulos, Sun Microsystems' CTO keynotes 

Tuesday, March 10, 7:45 - 8:45am

Responsible for approximately $2 billion of Sun's R&D portfolio, Papadopoulos' keynote session, "(Re) -Empowering IT", will address how virtualization, cloud computing, open source software and other new and non-traditional IT technologies now have a real place in the data center.

Media Lunch: AFCOM's Data Center Institute (DCI) Board Members Reveal Five Bold Predictions for the Data Center

Tuesday, March 10, noon PT, In the Press Room

AFCOM's Data Center Institute (DCI), a leading industry think-tank will be part of a Data Center World Media Lunch to do an in-depth re-visit of the "Five Bold Predictions for the Data Center", originally released in a March 2006 study. During the event, the DCI board, which consists of top industry leaders representing all facets of the data center business, will re-visit the updated predictions which take into account today's economic climate. Join us for lunch, discussions and a Q&A.

The Data Center World 2009 Expo

Tuesday, March 10, 3:45-7:00 p.m. PT and Wednesday, March 11, 11:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. PT

A two-day exhibit and demonstration will take place during set hours and showcase more than 225 exhibits that represent all faces of the data center industry, from green solution experts and storage media suppliers to rack, cabling, power and air conditioning providers, and other hardware, software, service providers, build and design firms, consultants, engineers, suppliers and distributors.

Best Practices, Data Center Management, Facilities/Greening Tracks

Tuesday, March 10, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. PT

Leading data center experts will share their tips on improving overall data center operation and energy efficiencies. In all Best Practices and Educational Tracks, real life user stories will be continuously shared.

Mark Monroe, a Director of The Green Grid and Director of Sustainable Computing at Sun Microsystems, will discuss the use of metrics and best practices in the greening process. Philip Larson, Assistant VP and Director of ISD Enterprise Operations at American Fidelity, will share stories about how his team deals with stressful moments such as heat overloads, or communications around tight budgets. And he'll talk about how to stay cool under pressure. Other best practice sessions will offer the latest wisdom around security threats, overcoming WAN/LAN challenges, and automation and energy management strategies that work.

Open Forum Closing Session: How to Cut Costs in Your Data Center without Compromising Efficiency

Thursday, March 12, 11:00 a.m. - noon PT

The economic downturn over the past few months has been problematic for many organizations. CEOs and business leaders are asking everybody to cut budgets. Many data center managers are not only facing budget cuts, but are being asked to go green, maintain government regulations, keep operations running 24/7, and stay prepared for any disaster or emergency. How can all of this be done without spending more? Join your peers and a panel of experts in this interactive closing session about how to cut costs in your data center without compromising efficiency.

Note to Journalists: Press and analysts are invited to view event press releases and other information at http://www.datacenterworld.com/Press-Room.

About Data Center World Conference:

Data Center World, operated by AFCOM, the world's leading 4,500-member data center association, is the industry's premier networking and educational conference, and occurs bi-annually. Thousands of data center professionals, from many of the largest corporations across all industries, government organizations, and academic institutions in the world attend Data Center World to share, discuss and learn about the latest data center trends, technologies and best practices, as well as products and services by some of the world's leading data center technology and service providers. Tradeshow Week recognizes Data Center World as one of the 50 fastest growing shows in the U.S. (2006, 2007 and 2008). For more information, visit www.datacenterworld.com.

About AFCOM:

AFCOM (www.afcom.com) is a leading association supporting the educational and professional development needs of data center professionals around the globe. Established in 1980, AFCOM currently boasts more than 4,500 members and 26 chapters worldwide, and provides data center professionals with unique networking opportunities and educational forums and resources through its annual Data Center World Conferences, published magazines, regional chapters, research and hotline services, and industry alliances.