Telecommunications company CenturyLink opened its the three-story, 300,000-square-foot, Technology Center of Excellence at its corporate headquarters campus in Monroe, Louisiana.

The CenturyLink Technology Center of Excellence includes a technology research and development lab, a network operations center and collaborative office and meeting space. In the Center, employees with network, cloud, information technology and other skills will work together to create innovative products and services for CenturyLink's customers.

"Today marks an important milestone for CenturyLink and our North Louisiana community as we open the CenturyLink Technology Center of Excellence, a facility that will be a key in driving our company's future growth," said Glen F. Post, III, CenturyLink CEO/President. "As CenturyLink transitions from a traditional network communications provider to a growing, integrated provider of advanced IP-enabled network, cloud, hosting, and IT services, it will be increasingly important that we are able to attract the best talent in the world. We believe the Technology Center will help us accomplish this transition successfully."

"A key aspect of the Technology Center is the creation of a world-class research and development hub where we will be able to develop, test and run technology innovations that will help shape our future and serve our customers," Post said. "The facility includes a customer experience center where we can demonstrate CenturyLink's latest offerings, and a state-of-the art Executive Briefing Center (EBC) that will enable sales and support teams to present our latest solutions to current and prospective customers."

All employees working on the CenturyLink corporate campus, which includes the Technology Center and the headquarters building, will have VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol service, which will allow them to stay connected whether they are in an office or working from their laptop anywhere inside or outside on the campus grounds.

According to the firm, the design of the Technology Center included a master plan for the site, substantial utility relocations, a 300,000-square-foot facility, and a five-story parking structure to accommodate more than 1,000 vehicles. The process also yielded a 2.2 acre landscaped courtyard designed to unite the new Technology Center with the existing 365,000-square-foot headquarters building.

The building also incorporates 37,000 square feet of View Dynamic Glass, making this facility the single largest installation of electrochromic glass in the country, company officials said. View's glass leverages nanotechnology and pre-programmed intelligence to tint automatically in response to outside conditions and user preferences, eliminating the need for blinds or shades, as well as providing enhanced occupant experience and improved energy efficiency.