Linden Lab reportedly seeking EU data center
Word has come down to us that Linden Lab is in negotiations with a number of hosting and colocation firms to set up a new Second Life data-center in the United Kingdom. Linden Lab's requirements for such a facility are quite steep, and the information comes from one firm who was contacted, but whose infrastructure was unable to accommodate the Lab's initial requirements.
The implications of Linden Lab establishing a fourth data-center in the UK are interesting. It would be the first outside of the USA, and provide significantly faster access for EU residents to assets and simulators (aka regions) that were hosted at the facility. By the same token, grid stability tends to be compromised when any pair of the Lab's data-centers are unable to communicate with each-other, and an additional facility would seem to double the potential risk of such troubles.
Linden Lab has previously been in talks with Australian telecommunications giant Telstra, but negotiations there were reported to have "broken down abruptly" by sources within Telstra, who declined to be any more specific. Linden Lab made no comment.
Linden Lab executives have since highlighted Singapore as a possible alternative for expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, which could potentially place Singtel (owner of Telstra-rival, Optus) as a possible communications provider for the region. The status of any plans for the region are unknown at this time.
The Lab seems to be actively looking for appropriate candidates, most of which will probably be found closest to the main Internet loci in Linden. Still, like the Australian talks it is possible that things may not go ahead, if the Lab is unable to secure what it needs for its operations.
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