YouTube probably isn’t the first place you’d think to look for information about new data center designs. But Allstate is proud enough of a recently opened data center that it made a video about the facility and posted it on YouTube.

The video covers some of the green measures adopted by the data center – daylighting in the office area, energy efficient IT hardware,  a reflective roof. In a video of less than 2 minutes, you won’t find many technical details about the new facility. But that’s not the point. The important thing is that Allstate is using the new data center to polish its public image, calling the new facility a “state-of-the-art, eco-friendly data center.” In other words, the corporation is using the facility to market itself.

If you’re responsible for a data center facility, the Allstate video may be a marketing opportunity for you — a way to help sell energy efficiency and other green measures for a new or existing data center. Even if your organization isn’t likely to post its own data-center  video on YouTube, Allstate’s efforts may open the door to discussions about steps your organization can take.

More details about the Allstate data center will appear in the August issue of Building Operating Management, in our quarterly Critical Facilities supplement. The article — written  by Environmental Systems Design, the firm that handled MEP design and sustainability consulting for the Allstate data center — will cover the rationale for the project as well as reliability and sustainability measures. While you’re waiting for that issue, check out the video.