The University at Albany, New York, has opened a US$26.3m data center that will share services with two colleges in the area, reports the Albany Business Review.

The facility is housing all digital information for the university and will also serve as the primary data center for Empire State College headquartered in Saratoga Springs, and Hudson Valley Community College, headquartered in Troy.

The ‘state-of-the-art’ facility is set to enhance capabilities which will better position the University as it looks for increased research funding, improved recruitment and public-private partnerships.

According to Times Union, the previous data center, which was built with the university in the 1960s, didn't even have a backup power generator.

The new facility houses the university’s computing, research, information, storage and telecommunications services equipment and systems - 110 racks of servers in total.

This is the latest in a string of improvement projects the University at Albany has committed to over the recent years. Last year, it opened a $64m School of Business building and an $18m football field.

The University's President Robert Jones, CIO Christine Haile and State University of New York chancellor Nancy Zimpher will dedicate and cut the ribbon at the data center in an official ceremony today.