« Aberta, Illegal Gambling and Data Centres? »

I’ve been following the developments of Alexander Internet Technologies, and their recent press release of launching the construction of a new data centre in Alberta. Why? Because data centre space is a hot topic right now, not to mention a hot commodity in Canada.  There used to be a time when you couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting an empty data centre; alas, those days are long gone, and the fight for data centre space could turn ugly at any moment.

And it’s with this market fluxuation that I’ve been keeping an eye on Alexander Internet Technologies.  A girl never knows when she’s going to need a few extra thousand square feet of raised floor.

Apparently, Alexander Internet Tech is creating a new data centre space in hopes of luring off shore gambling websites to Alberta. Hmmm, interesting business model, considering that the only organizations who can legally run ANY form of gambling are ones registered or licenced by the government, or OWNED by the government.

But their casino-licensing scheme has a successful and legally questionable model in Quebec.

That province’s Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake is one of the world’slargest hosts for online gambling sites. It has operated the KahnawakeGaming Commission since 1996.Loto-Quebec and Quebec’s attorney general have in the past said thatonline gambling based in Kahnawake is illegal. But charges have neverbeen laid.

I am certainly not going to suggest that native Canadians aren’t governed by the same laws that the rest of Canada is governed by. I wouldn’t even imply that they think they are legally free to move outside the laws, and the canadian government is spineless enough to let it continue?

Nah, that would be just nutty.

Regardless, if you need a few thousand feet of data centre space in Alberta, you know where you can get it ;-)
Alta. gaming authority probing native band’s online gambling scheme

“Internet gaming, unless it’s conducted by the province or licensed by the (AGLC), is illegal.”Preparing to accommodate western Canada’s first online gambling operations, Alexander is building a 2,300-square-metre data centre on its territory, which will host the gambling websites’ computer servers.

Technorati Tags: Alexander Internet Technologies, Data Center, Canadian Governent

Comments

[trev]

Most interesting...Ever read Cryptonomicon? One of the main plot devices involves offshore data storage, and the legal/financial implications of same.

I am planning to jump into the data/web/information workplace,and am looking at education upgrades. Any thoughts from you or your readers on what the big need will be inthe next 2-3 years?

[jules]

Hi there Trev!
Holy cats - you are picking an exciting industry to dive into! I think you will find the majority of the focus is leading towards wireless applications, and the infrastructures needed to support them. Everything from network infrastructure, network intelligence (check out IP Multimedia Subsystems - IMS for short), application presence, application and hardware convergence (moving between wifi and wireless networks). Another interesting trend - the ability to pay for services and objects using non-traditional methods ie using your cell phone as a debit card or buying something and having it billed on your home phone bill.

Good luck!
Julie

[trev]

Thanks for the tips.I had a hunch things would be getting more mobile and wireless. The infrastructure is something that interests me. I see evidence that companies that gained their market share and shareholders in the mid 20th century really being held back by their reluctance to embrace new technologies.I see a breaking point in 3-5 years where a reliance on traditional strengths and a control/dominance based hierarchial governing structure will quickly become a hinderance, and such businesses will want to hurry up and get with it, whatever "it" happens to be at the time.
Thanks again for the insights.