DataCentersNow Brings Bricks and Mortar to the Internet.

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 29, 2000

-- Real Estate Developer To Have 1/2 Million Square Feet --

Of Data Center Facilities Available

DataCentersNow today announced the launch of a new initiative designed to bridge the gap between real estate development and the burgeoning world of information technology.

DataCentersNow, a division of BECO Management, one of the largest privately held acquisition and management real estate companies in the Washington metropolitan area, is designing, engineering and building mission-critical compatible facilities -- data centers -- intended solely to address the special requirements of telecommunications and Internet-driven companies.

DataCentersNow has developed a unique approach to meet the increased need for data centers caused by the explosion of the Internet. "What distinguishes us is our ability to create a speed-to-market solution for these special customers. We are speculatively building data center- ready buildings from the ground up," said Chris Epstein Hereford, president of DataCentersNow. "No longer will these companies have to waste time and spend extraordinary amounts of money renovating existing buildings and/or locating in less than ideal environments."

DataCentersNow has joined in a strategic alliance with two industry leaders, CS Technology and Nova.Corp, both of whom have extensive experience in the design and construction of data centers.

"Nova.Corp has constructed numerous data centers worldwide and we are constantly assisting customers in their quest for ideal sites for their facilities. DataCentersNow has developed an excellent model for this new real estate niche," said Mark DiStefano, president of Nova.Corp.

CS Technology's Adam Krupp said, "CST has been involved in designing countless high-reliability data center and switch facilities and welcomes the arrival of DataCentersNow, a firm focused on delivering data center-ready buildings. They recognize the critical importance of proper base building infrastructure designed to support technology-intensive tenants, which in turn shall accelerate tenants' speed to market."

Data centers are the heart and soul of communications in the 21st century. They house the equipment necessary to ensure the functional needs of telecommunication firms and web- based information technology companies. Among other uses, data center facilities are vital to ISPs (Internet Service Providers), ASPs (Application Service Providers), telecom switches, CoLo (Co-location) or hosting services (server or modem farms).

Data center compatible facilities are very different from other commercial buildings or office space. They are constructed with telecommunications and computer equipment in mind -- not people. At their extreme, they are hardened, secure facilities with concrete roofs and no exterior glass. Among other amenities, they must have high ceilings, be able to withstand massive floor loads, have a redundancy of fiber optic providers, have extreme electrical power requirements, provide major cooling and state of the art fire suppression systems that often do not use water.

"Until now, high-tech companies looking for fortified buildings were required to either build their own building, retrofit a warehouse-style project or locate in what is known by insiders as a carrier hotel," said Epstein Hereford. "DataCentersNow is dedicated to providing technology leaders a new choice for their mission-critical requirements by offering buildings designed, engineered and speculatively constructed solely for mission-critical purposes."

"A large portion of BECO's real estate portfolio is located in Northern Virginia's `Internet Alley'," said Jeffrey Lee Cohen, CEO of DataCentersNow and president of BECO Management. "We have considerable experience with IT clients and it is clear there is a growing demand for these types of facilities."

DataCentersNow currently owns a number of sites throughout Northern Virginia. Its first building, at 100 Terminal Drive, Sterling, Loudoun County, is scheduled to break ground in March 2000 and will offer 54,000 square feet. A second site, adjacent to America Online's Internet Technology Center in Prince William County, will offer up to 275,000 square feet. DataCentersNow is also actively involved in a number of other North American markets, as well as the acquisition of additional sites locally.

"DataCentersNow's investment in a speculative, state-of-the-art data center-ready facility is further indication that Prince William County is the new center of business opportunity in the metropolitan Washington area," said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Sean T. Connaughton.

DataCentersNow, together with its world-class technology team, speculatively designs, engineers and builds fortress-like structures throughout Northern Virginia and North America with all the power, fiber and technological infrastructure needed to build data centers. For more information, visit the web site at www.DataCentersNow.com.