And, of course, the widespread use of the Internet and broadband applications--like conference calls with real-time slide shows--spurred that growth.

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In the case of 77th Street, she says the widespread use of the internet has created a greater pressure on the business to stay ahead of the market.

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Data centers are used by the telephone companies, but they will also be needed for the widespread shift to cloud computing, where companies and people use files and applications over the Internet instead of relying on software or servers on their premises.

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