Area 71

Area 71 is the unofficial title for Wal-Mart's 125,000-square-foot (11,600 m2) datacenter which is located in Caverna, Missouri near the Arkansas border. The datacenter has a supposed capacity of over 460 terabytes of data, or 460,000,000,000,000 bytes of data. Area 71 is built directly on top of bedrock which gives it maximum strength to withstand many natural and man made disasters. It is also self-sufficient with generators and the capability to retain data link with the Wal-Mart network using copper wire, fiber optic cable, or satellite communications. Some speculate that the datacenter was created to link video footage with customers buying products to build a database as to when and what kind of person buys a certain product. It can also be used to develop trends in purchasing before major events (i.e. natural disasters, holidays) so that Wal-Mart executives can better stock store shelves in anticipation of this event.

Wal-Mart also uses Area 71 to control many functions of Wal-Mart stores. This includes turning the lights on and off, adjusting the climate control, and playing the in store music. Also run from the data center is the computer system that employees use to “clock in” at each location and also provides email to keep employees informed of events that are pertinent to their job function.