IIJ Completes the Shiroi Data Center Campus, Equipped with the Latest Energy-Saving and AI Technologies

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TOKYO-April 10, 2019-Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ: IIJI, TSE1: 3774), one of Japan's leading Internet access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced that it has completed the new data center today in Shiroi-city, Chiba Prefecture, and the Shiroi Data Center Campus (Shiroi DCC) will begin operations starting May 1st.

The Shiroi DCC incorporates a system module-based construction method(*) that allows IIJ to build facilities at a low cost to flexibly respond to demand. This state-of-the-art data center maximizes operational efficiency and reduces operational costs by leveraging IIJ's energy efficiency technologies and the operational experience cultivated at the Matsue Data Center Park since its construction in 2011.
As a result of using energy-saving equipment of open-air cooling, etc., the Ministry of the Environment selected the facility for its 2018 Net-Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) Conversion & Low Carbon Promotion Project for Commercial Facilities (Next-Generation Low-Carbon Data Center Establishment and Promotion Project). The Shiroi DCC will also drive automated and unmanned data center operations in response to the IT labor shortage and work-style reforms with the help of robot.

1. (*)This method is to systematize the overall building process by standardizing the components such as steel frames, roofs, outer walls, used in the building's construction. It also offers reduced construction times, cost savings, and flexible scalability, while maintaining quality suitable for structures with large, pillar-less open spaces.

Background and purpose

Experts predict increased demand for cloud services as operational platforms for the explosive growth of digital data due to the 5G, IoT and AI. IIJ continues to expand its server capacity in response to the growing amount of data it handles through its service operations. IIJ will use the Shiroi DCC as a hub for its own services scattered in various locations, while also offering housing and colocation services for enterprises and data center operators.

Primary specs

Total area	Approximately 40,000 m²	Server capacity	6,000 racks
Maximum floor area	Approximately 80,000 m²	Maximum power reception capacity	50 MW

Key features

The latest energy-saving methods and equipment

The Shiroi DCC uses outside-air cooling system that account for a significant portion of data center energy consumption. Moreover, it was designed to maximize electricity usage efficiency through an air-conditioning system that delivers cooled air more efficiently than conventional floor-blown systems by using wall-mounted air conditioner fans that directly cool servers. To further raise efficiency, the data center includes AI-driven integrated controls for air conditioning and IT systems.

Automating data center operations with robotics

In response to the IT staff shortage and the improvement of a work environment, and the need to lower operating costs to raise competitiveness, the Shiroi DCC will run robot-driven operations through the following project:

Partner	ALSOK	IIJ Engineering Inc.
Summary	To demonstrate unmanned guest attendance and facility patrol duties using the REBORG-Z physical robot	To demonstrate automated IT operations such as entry permission, monitoring, and fault recovery using the RBA/RPA Automated Platform by software robots

A facility that allows for low-cost expansion to flexibly respond to demand

By applying a system module-based construction method, IIJ has cut construction time to eight months and reduced construction costs. The facility can meet size requirements in terms of the area or electrical capacity that contract clients need, and it supports partial racks, rack units, and service provider-specific designs. The data center connects to external networks through three different routes linking the facility to outside lines, and it is a carrier-neutral data center, meaning there are no restrictions on available telecom carriers. The Shiroi DCC also offers greater storage efficiency with its 2.7 m tall racks in server rooms with 4.8 m ceilings.

Shiroi DCC

• Visit the website below for more details on the Shiroi Data Center Campus.
  https://www.iij.ad.jp/en/datacenter/tech/iijdc/shiroidcc.html

Rather than just offering facilities to its client companies, the Shiroi DCC intends to expand its network based on a networking hub concept in which various cloud services, nearby data centers, and Internet exchange points interconnect to raise the added value it provides to its customers.

IIJ will continue to offer stable infrastructure platforms in Japan and overseas by providing high-quality data center facilities and various added-value networking services.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents furnished by Internet Initiative Japan Inc. with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports on Forms 20-F and 6-K, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

For inquiries, contact

IIJ Corporate Communications

• +81-3-5205-6310
• +81-3-5205-6377
• press@iij.ad.jp

• (*) All company names and service names used in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.