SkyLink protects servers and cloud and web presences for businesses

When SkyLink Data Centers offered a tour of its Naples headquarters to members of a Southwest Florida technology trade group, Jacob Ackerman —  the company's chief technology officer —  didn't expect much of a turnout.

Ackerman thought a few people would show up and that there would be "a bunch of crickets in the background" at the nighttime event, organized by the nonprofit Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership last month.

He was surprised to see dozens of IT workers and other professionals walk through the doors to find out more about the company and to get a close-up look at its state-of-the-art data center on Orchid Drive, off U.S. 41 near Coastland Center mall.

"We would have been happy to have 15 or 20 people show up. It was over 50," Ackerman said.

The data center, opened a little over two years ago, offers leased storage to other companies needing a safe spot to house their data and data equipment (think servers and networking devices).

"Think of it like leasing a car," Ackerman said. "In this instance they are leasing server space for a set amount of time, then they can continue the lease or give it back."

The building is highly secured. Getting to the second floor, where data and equipment is stored, requires entering a pass code and swiping an employee badge near the elevator door.

"Only four employees in our company can come up here unescorted," Ackerman said. "We take security very, very seriously."

All of the IT systems Skylink manages also require a second level of authentication to gain access.

Cameras are everywhere, monitoring what's going on 24/7. Sophisticated detection systems are designed to alert employees as soon as possible about hazards, such as smoke or water, before they become major problems.

"There's very little we don't know about," Ackerman said. "We can detect fire before there's an open flame."

He pointed to the windows, saying they can handle winds of more than 200 mph.

"The majority of buildings here in Collier and Lee counties can't survive a Category 5 storm," Ackerman said. "This facility can survive that and be operational during the event."

The data center is a "building within a building," with a roof that's 18 inches thick and walls that are solid concrete reinforced with steel.

One man on the tour joked the center had a "force field" to protect it from danger. Not quite, but Ackerman boasted: "It's the safest place in the county. So safe FPL keeps some of its gear here."

The data center sits on a natural ridge and is outside a flood zone. It has backup power, a generator designed to keep the building and its equipment operating without fail through storms big and small. The generator is capable of producing up to 1 megawatt.

"This is Florida," Ackerman said. "We get a lot of lightning."

During the tour Ackerman showed off the backup generator, in a building outside, saying there's enough fuel on site to run it for 14 days. SkyLink has contracts to top off the fuel as needed in emergencies.

The temperature in the data center is kept at 72, although it feels even more frigid because of the low humidity.

It's so cold it can give visitors, who aren't used to it, goosebumps, and the breeze in some spots is so strong Ackerman had to warn anyone with skirts or dresses to be prepared to hold them down on the upstairs tour.

All of the cabling is labeled, making it a snap to see their origin and destination. Most of the cabling is also color-coded, making problems with equipment easier to find and resolve.

There are 29 cabinets for storage. The center can house up to 65 — so there's room to more than double the storage.

Some clients lease multiple cabinets. Depending on a customer's needs, monthly costs can range from $49 to more than $5,000.

SkyLink's local customers include commercial construction firm DeAngelis Diamond, land developers Collier Enterprises and nonprofit health care provider Avow Hospice.

"The single biggest customer is the U.S. military, by far," Ackerman said. "We have more resources dedicated to them than we do anybody else."

SkyLink has clients from as far away as Okinawa, Japan, and Beijing. "International-wise we have the most customers in Australia," Ackerman said.

The data center doesn't just offer storage. Clients can use its network switches, internet, firewalls, and other computing equipment and its software and desktop services, paying additional fees for whatever they need.

Marc Farron, president of the Southwest Regional Technology Partnership, described SkyLink as the only hardened data center of its kind in the five-county region. That's why, he said, the offer for a tour generated so much interest among the partnership's members.

"No question it definitely stands out," Farron said. "I don't know of any other data center that offers such complete data center services, infrastructure as a service, with the professionalism that SkyLink does."

Since opening the data center, SkyLink has added more than 10 employees. The company is running out of parking for more employees.

"We started to look at adding remote workers just because we have grown tremendously," Ackerman said.

To keep up with its growth, SkyLink has hired software developers, sales and technical support staff, network operators and administrative personnel.

SkyLink isn't growing just in Naples. It has locations in Orlando and Ashburn, Virginia. Another one planned in Tampa is expected to open later this year. More data centers are expected to sprout up as the company continues to look for opportunities to fill demand around the country.

SkyLink is an outgrowth of Naples-based Horizon Business Services Inc., the developer of custom catering and event management software called Caterease.

The data center also hosts Horizon's cloud-based product, which is one of the reasons Horizon launched SkyLink (because it was struggling to find a safe storage spot big enough for its data and equipment).

At last count Skyline had more than 30,000 clients, including the ones using Caterease.

Skylink and Horizon share key employees, including upper level management. The companies are both owned by Greg Kopriva.

"I've been with this company since '99, so if they have an issue on the Caterease side, it's all hands on deck, and vice versa," Ackerman said.

SkyLink doesn't have a dedicated sales staff. Instead, its technicians design and sell its products and services.

Customer service isn't the job of just a few employees, either.

"We're all engineers, from myself all the way down," Ackerman said. "We all talk to customers. I still answer the phone, and all of our other employees do, too. That's how we ensure we are providing that high level of service."