Grand Opening of Allstate’s New Eco-Friendly Data Center in Rochelle, Ill.

High Tech Takes Root on the High Plains

May. 29, 2009 NORTHBROOK, Ill. - Allstate Insurance Company today opens an energy-efficient and environmentally conscious data centers in Rochelle, Ill.

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The 65,000-square-foot facility is a secure, world-class hosting center to support Allstate’s information technology needs – enhancing the customer experience. This new center is targeted to meet LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

“As part of Allstate’s promise to be there for customers in their time of need, we’re dedicated to ensuring high availability of critical technology systems,” said Catherine Brune, senior vice president and chief information officer of Allstate. “Our new data center introduces sophisticated building design and technologies that reflect our company’s dedication to environmental responsibility.”

The new facility incorporates eco-friendly building design and energy efficiencies. Large windows to increase natural light, a light-colored roof that reflects sunlight and reduces cooling costs, recycled building components with low toxicity and the latest in energyefficient computer servers are just some of the green strategies being used at this new facility.

“Data centers, by their very nature, tend to be power-hungry, but our team has worked diligently to create a fundamentally different model that will allow us to significantly reduce our projected energy consumption,” said Brune.

Rochelle, Ill. is an ideal setting for Allstate’s new data center, as it’s one of the few cities in the U.S. to own and operate its own high capacity, local fiber-optics network. The city also provides its own utilities, including affordable and reliable electricity. Construction on the Rochelle, Ill. Data Center began in January, 2008 – the first facility to break ground in the city’s new 160-acre Business and Technology Park.

Allstate’s new facility has enough data storage to hold 15 Libraries of Congress – which is considerable, since the Library of Congress holds more than 30 million books. Consumers may click on www.youtube.com/allstate to watch a video tour of the new data center.

Source: Allstate Corporation