FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arthur Blank & Co. Locks Up Its Data Center
with Fire-Proof Room Protection from FIRELOCK


BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 16, 2008 – As part of a comprehensive disaster protection and recovery initiative, Arthur Blank & Co. (www.arthurblank.com), the largest provider of private label credit and gift cards in North America, recently put a “lock” on its Boston, Massachusetts data center with the installation of a fireproof, Class 125-rated server vault from FIRELOCK.

The new FIRELOCK-protected data center room can withstand temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit outside the walls, while keeping inside temperatures below 125 degrees Fahrenheit (UL Class 125 certified), ensuring the protection of sensitive servers and data housed in the facility.
 
“Protecting business and client data is vital to our company’s promise of delivering cards and related services with maximum uptime,” said Jamie Caples, director of IT for Arthur Blank & Co. “Our retail and financial services clients deal with sensitive information that potentially involves billions of dollars, so they depend on us to plan for any contingency.”  Protecting its primary data center with a Class 125 fireproof vault is a critical element of Arthur Blank & Co.’s disaster recovery plan.

The FIRELOCK Server Vault is comprised of several components.  The walls and roof are constructed with a modular panel system using a core of ceramic fiber insulation, the same material used in steel foundries and for other high temperature industrial applications.  A double door assembly, to meet stringent the Class 125 rating, is equipped with automatic closers that are activated by heat, smoke, flammable gas or a power failure. 

Insulated cable penetrations, similar to those used in nuclear power plants, allow the myriad data and power cables to be brought in without compromising the fireproof chamber.  The coolant lines for the Liebert heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system are also protected by these insulated conduit penetrations.  The entry points for the air ducts in the HVAC system are three-stage damper assemblies, which are protected by a housing also insulated with ceramic fiber. 

According to Caples, “We realized standard room construction methods would allow heat and smoke to damage our data center even before flames penetrated the structure, which is why we sought out a data-rated vault solution for our facility.  When we realized that the use of these pre-constructed fire-proof walls were comparable to traditional dry wall construction, the decision was easy.”

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Media Contacts:
Rick Barbieri, Arthur Blank & Co.
(617) 363-4200
rbarbieri@abco.com

About FIRELOCK®
FIRELOCK provides custom design expertise and manufactures and installs modular record storage vaults in a variety of sizes, from small rooms up to 25,000 cu. ft. These vaults are designed to provide UL Class 125 fire protection, along with environmental controls for your critical or vital information assets. Lightweight, expandable panel systems are available to construct fire-safe and heat-safe vaults for the protection of IT infrastructure, magnetic media, micrographic media, and optical disks. The FIRELOCK vault is the highest rated fire protection storage environment for heat-sensitive processing equipment and computer media available in the industry. Our client list includes service organizations of all types and sizes from diverse industries, ranging from hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, to major financial houses and State and Local Government offices. Information about FIRELOCK is available at www.FIRELOCK.com.

About Arthur Blank & Co.
Founded in 1934, Arthur Blank & Co., a division of American Banknote, is a leading North American producer of plastic cards. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Arthur Blank has the capacity to print up to 1.4 billion cards per year. Arthur Blank’s cards are currently being utilized as secure credit cards-Visa and MasterCard, bank cards; healthcare and insurance cards; private label credit cards; ID, security and access cards; membership and gift cards; and gaming and hotel key cards. For more information on all of Arthur Blank’s card products, visit www.arthurblank.com, or call 617-325-9600.