Shared Data Centers: Something Old and Something New

The idea of sharing a data center within an institution is common, where departments split the costs of a specialized facility. With the current push toward cloud computing and utility-based services, these resources can be shared across multiple institutions, providing cost sharing akin to "computing co-ops." An example of such a facility is the NWRDC, which provides services to universities, colleges, and state, county, and city governments.