GM to Spend $130 Million on Data Center in Warren

After nearly a full month of production-related investment announcements, it's time for American manufacturer GM to let the world know that it is planning to better store the data it produces during the development process of its products. To do so, the car maker will invest $130 million in a new enterprise data center at its Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan.

The facility, which will also comprise an expansion of the current administrative building, will become the information core of the giant. It will comprise the Information Technology (IT) Operations and Command Center.

GM plans to use the new center as a tool for it to monitor the digital applications globally, run complex computer simulations and, at the same time, help reduce operating costs and cut energy consumption (by an estimated 40 percent of the current levels of the existing facility).

Although admitting work on the complex is already under way, GM did not make any estimates on when the facility might be ready. When it is, however, an extra 25 people will have to sign up on the car maker's payroll.

“This new facility and other GM data centers around the world support the tools the company needs to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles through digital applications enabling all business functions,” said Terry Kline, GM vice president and chief information officer.

“This investment is possible because of the cooperation between GM, the Warren community and the Michigan Economic Growth Authority,” said Kline. “We truly appreciate the support we received from the mayor and city council in Warren, as well as the state of Michigan. We think the result is a win for everybody involved.”