Area 71
36°30′03″N 94°15′53″W / 36.500767°N 94.264648°W
Area 71 is the unofficial title for Walmart's 125,000-square-foot (11,600 m2) data center which is located in Caverna, Missouri, near the Arkansas border. The datacenter has a supposed capacity of over 460 terabytes of data, or 460 trillion 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 Walmart network using copper wire, fiber optic cable, or satellite communications. It can also be used to develop trends in purchasing before major events (i.e. natural disasters, holidays) so that Walmart executives can better stock store shelves in anticipation of this event.[1]
Walmart also uses Area 71 to control many functions of its 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.