PSCU this week said it has officially opened its expanded datacenter in Phoenix and designated it as the St. Petersburg,Fla.-based CUSO's primary data center.

The site also will be the hub for technology-based services thatPSCU provides to nearly 700 member-owner credit unions, with theSt. Petersburg site serving as a hot site for business interruptiondata backup, the company said.

The centers host technology infrastructure used in the company'spayments and other processes and also handles around-the-clocktechnical inquiries from PSCU employees and client creditunions.

Server upgrades, equipment protection systems and energyefficiency improvements were among the enhancements at the Phoenixcenter, PSCU said.

“The investment in our Phoenix data center reflects ourcommitment to excellence and creating a world-class environment tosupport the next generation of payments solutions and analyticstools,” PSCU President/CEO Mike Kelly said in the company's announcement.

Also in the statement, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said, “PSCU isa vital and important member of our business community. Theirinvestment, expanding their data center and naming Phoenix as theirprimary data center location, is welcome news that strengthens ourtechnology sector and creates much needed jobs in our region.”

PSCU said 425 employees now work at the Phoenix center and that10 new positions were part of the expansion. The company said itcurrently employs 1,800 people overall.