Out of the top 10 data center markets, Phoenix is now No 9 in the nation, according to 451 Research, seeing over 25 megawatts of absorption in 2014. That's an all-time high, Colliers International’s Michael Ortiz tells us. There are many reasons for that, he says: the state’s diverse energy sources; ready access to fiber connectivity with 11 ms latency back to Southern California; access to free cooling; low geographic risk; and a pro-business environment.

Besides all that, there's the data center incentive program targeted at incentivizing both end users and developers, approved by the legislature in 2013, which levels the playing field against the likes of Texas and Virginia, Michael adds. "The market’s appeal has resulted in ongoing investment from the likes of CyrusOne, Digital Realty, CenturyLink/IO, ViaWest and Nextfort data centers," he says. Recently, Colliers International in Greater Phoenix launched a strategic partnership with IT design firm GlassFire to provide full IT assessments and detailed architectural designs upfront, with a goal of substantially lowering a company’s total cost of operations.