Most people never think about data centers - until something goes wrong.
As artificial intelligence accelerates computing demands, ransomware dominates headlines, and healthcare becomes increasingly digital and always‑on, the infrastructure behind the scenes has never mattered more. For enGen, that infrastructure is a technical necessity and a strategic advantage, silently underpinning the innovation essential for modern healthcare.
From Cloud‑First to Cloud‑Right
Several years ago, like much of the industry, enGen embraced a cloud‑first mindset. The promise was compelling: speed, flexibility, and lower upfront costs.
But reality brought nuance. Kenneth Andrzejewski, enGen’s Director of Data Center Operations and Disaster Recovery, captured this shift in perspective. Years ago, the prevailing sentiment was a "cloud-first" exodus. Now, he observes, it's a resounding "yay, thank God we have a data center" - a clear acknowledgment of the inherent value and control that enGen’s physical infrastructure provides.
Today, enGen has shifted to a cloud‑right strategy by placing workloads where they make the most sense based on risk, sensitivity, and performance.
“Does this application fit in the cloud? If it does, let’s put it there,” Ken explained. “But performance, latency and sensitivity drive the optimal placement.”
Owning and operating its own data center allows enGen to directly control where sensitive healthcare data resides, avoid the risks of multi‑tenant environments, and manage upgrades, maintenance, and redundancy on its own terms - without being subject to third party‑ data center closures or shifting priorities.
Control, Security, and Trust
Healthcare infrastructure must meet some of the most stringent security, privacy, and compliance requirements of any industry. enGen’s data center was designed from the ground up with those expectations in mind.
Imagine navigating not one, but multiple checkpoints: through a gate to the parking lot, another through a fenced area, into the building past security personnel, then through a guarded office area, and finally, into the data center itself via strictly controlled proximity readers.
At the network and system level, the data center leverages enterprise grade firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, encrypted data at rest, secure remote access with multifactor authentication, and privileged access management through CyberArk to limit unauthorized access. All changes follow a formal change management process with review and approval.
In an era of frequent data breaches, this level of control positions enGen as a more reliable and trustworthy partner in the health tech ecosystem.
What a Modern Data Center Really Looks Like
For many people, the phrase data center still conjures images of a few servers tucked into a basement or campus closet. The reality is far more complex.
enGen’s primary data center in Pennsylvania spans approximately 28,000 square feet, with 10,000 additional square feet available for growth, and is designed to scale incrementally as demand evolves.
“This is more than just racks in a room,” Ken said. “It’s precision engineering.”
Extensive server virtualization decouples applications from physical hardware, allowing resources to be provisioned or reallocated dynamically. The data center is further bolstered by redundant power supplies, including multiple generators with contracts from various fuel providers, and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system that filters power and provides battery backup, guaranteeing continuous operation even in the face of electrical component failures.
“This is more than just racks in a room...it's precision engineering.”
-Ken Andrzejewski, Director of Data Center Operations & Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery as a Core Capability
enGen operates two enterprise data centers:
- A primary production site in Pennsylvania
- A disaster recovery site in Ashburn, Virginia
Crucially, enGen owns the equipment at its disaster recovery site, even though the space itself is leased.
“We own all the equipment at our disaster recovery site,” Ken said. “Equinix provides the space and power, but the hardware is ours.”
This ownership enables more frequent and flexible disaster recovery exercises -large‑scale, targeted, or incremental - without reliance on shared infrastructure or third‑party availability.
Fueling Innovation: Where Healthcare AI Takes Flight
As AI rapidly consumes global data center capacity, infrastructure is becoming harder - and more expensive - to secure.
“AI is just eating up data center space,” Ken said. “Luckily, we have room to grow…we’re built to grow.”
The primary data center is designed for scalability. This allows for incremental additions of racks, power, cooling, and network connectivity as demand evolves, avoiding massive upfront investments and ensuring resources are always aligned with innovation needs.
Beyond resilience, owning infrastructure gives enGen’s development teams greater freedom to innovate. Dedicated hardware, sandbox environments, and development spaces allow teams to test new ideas, train AI and machine learning models, and build prototypes without risking sensitive production data or incurring unpredictable cloud egress costs.
The environment supports containerization, orchestration platforms, high‑speed networking, and data masking and de‑identification - enabling advanced analytics and AI initiatives while preserving privacy.
This flexibility allows enGen to integrate legacy systems with new technologies, accelerating innovation without disruptive migrations.
The People Behind the Infrastructure
Technology alone doesn’t make this possible. Beyond the advanced technology, the true strength of enGen’s data center lies in its people.
“Everybody has good people,” Ken said. “But there’s something special about this team.”
From engineering and operations to facilities and security, the data center is supported by a multidisciplinary team with deep expertise and a shared commitment to reliability. enGen also continues to invest heavily in training, certifications, and professional development to keep skills current and retain specialized talent.
“These are people who want to be challenged,” Ken said. “If you don’t invest in them, they’re going to leave. We make sure they don’t have to.”
Infrastructure You Don’t See, Care You Can Trust
Most people will never walk through enGen’s data center, and that’s exactly the point.
“When everything works, no one notices,” Ken said. “But behind the scenes, there’s an incredible amount of planning, testing, and dedication making that possible.”
This invisible excellence is the foundation upon which trust in modern healthcare is built. In a landscape increasingly defined by digital interactions and data-driven decisions, enGen's owned data center represents a strategic, long-term investment in security, control, resilience, and innovation - a critical component in delivering reliable and trustworthy healthcare for all.
This is just one part of a bigger system.
The data center is just one component of how enGen delivers secure, scalable healthcare technology - from application development to platform operations. Explore the full suite of services that depend on this foundation.