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The U.S. federal government is rapidly becoming one of the biggest consumers of cloud services and IDC (News - Alert) predicts federal public cloud spending will top $3 billion by 2017. So it’s no surprise that cloud giant Amazon wants a presence in Virginia and is establishing a data center to serve the specific needs of the Feds.

Vadata, an Amazon subsidiary, has announced a $2.7 million tax-break deal to build a data center at the Warrenton Training Center in Virginia to serve the federal government. The Center is a federal government communications complex servicing the CIA, NSA and Department of Defense. The subsidiary specializes in handling niche projects for Amazon and represents a layer of abstraction for the cloud computing giant, one that may be critical when dealing with sensitive federal government agencies.

The data center, codenamed “Project Sunrise,” is reportedly valued at $200 million, making it the largest economic investment in Fauquier County, VA’s history. Located one hour away from Washington, D.C., it will be housed at the Training Center, which was widely used during the Cold War and maintains an underground complex designed to host U.S. government members during a nuclear attack.

AWS already maintains a specialty data center on the West Coast that hosts its GovCloud, offering unique features to meet the regulatory and compliance requirements of the federal government. Not only is physical security a priority in hosting government cloud clients, but network security and efficiencies are also a top priority. That’s where companies like Panduit come into play, offering unified networking and security solutions designed to meet the specific needs of government agencies. Panduit also maintains a network of qualified distribution partners through the GSA (News - Alert) Schedule Program, making it easy for federal agencies to connect with the cloud and networking services they need.

As federal agencies increasingly move to the cloud, they are also tasked with using less power, operating more efficiently and complying with “green” standards and mandates. Taking stock in overall networking infrastructure and architecture is absolutely critical to operating in a cost-effective and secure manner, and companies like Panduit are ready to meet those requirements and mandates.

Vadata, based in Seattle, has reportedly invested $26.4 million in the data center already and the facility is slated for completion in 2018. The center will reportedly employ 51 managers and technicians.