Organisations looking to future-proof their data centre infrastructure should consider the innovation coming out of global power management company Eaton.
“Amidst the global shift towards renewables, pandemic-accelerated digitalisation has led to the rise of edge computing. Continued technological advancements are transforming the way data is processed, managed and delivered. Against this backdrop, MDC and UPS solutions are playing an increasingly bigger role in bridging the gap in edge computing and ensuring critical applications keep running with minimal environmental impact,” said Jimmy Yam, Vice President, Electrical Sector, East Asia, Eaton (pic above).
He referenced two new additions to its micro data centre (MDC) and 9PX uninterruptible power supply (UPS) series – the iCube 2.0 and the 9PX lithium-ion UPS.
“Tailored to address the unique needs and pain points of Asian organisations looking to future-proof their data centre infrastructure, these new regional solutions enable businesses to achieve information and operational technology excellence, while positioning their enterprise for success in the ongoing energy transition,” said Jimmy.
“With prolonged remote working arrangements and expected growth in digitalisation, the need for fast and sustainable computing capacity will only increase. The introduction of iCube 2.0 and 9PX Lithium-ion UPS will help address this demand while still ensuring energy efficiency.”
An upgrade of Eaton’s pre-existing MDC 1.0 solution, iCube 2.0 is designed to address key challenges and common user pain points in edge deployments, such as space constraints and the lack of technical expertise in designing and deploying solutions from scratch.
Unlike the first-generation MDC 1.0 solution, iCube 2.0 can be customised to a variety of rack sizes. IT managers can choose from iCube 2.0’s line-up of cabinet dimensions.
This ranges from basic racks outfitted with mission-critical equipment that are designed for small offices, to prefabricated multi-rack solutions for mid-sized to large offices. This flexibility enables organisations to optimise their unit room space utilisation and scale their deployments according to evolving operational needs. It also translates into lower deployment and maintenance costs, ultimately delivering greater cost-effectiveness to organisations with its reduced total cost of ownership (TCO).
As an integrated and prefabricated plug-and-play solution, iCube 2.0 also offers IT managers ease of deployment. It requires minimal maintenance and manpower requirements with its built-in intelligent management software system, which provides comprehensive monitoring of environmental parameters as well as automated alerts and predictive analytics for optimal performance. At the same time, iCube 2.0’s class 8 seismic rating and best-in-class certifications[1] enable it to be safely deployed in unfavourable environments that may be dusty, hot, humid and even earthquake-prone.
Meanwhile, the 9PX lithium-ion UPS is a greener and smarter way to safeguard the power supply of critical infrastructure.This product upgrade continues Eaton’s proven track record in Li-ion UPS deployments, particularly in the Southeast Asia region.
“With technology advancements driving down production and deployment costs, Li-ion powered UPS solutions have been growing in popularity in recent years due to its smaller footprint, shorter charging cycle, longer lifespan and TCO savings,” Jimmy further explained in a statement.
Outfitted with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries – one of the safest and longest lasting Li-ion solutions currently available in the market – Eaton’s 9PX Li-ion UPS is Energy Star-certified and delivers industry-leading energy efficiency of up to 94% in online mode.
Aside from lower CO2 emissions, the UPS solution provides greater floor space utilisation with a smaller physical footprint and overall weight reduction[3]. It is also equipped with intelligent battery management system (BMS) software as well as critical cybersecurity features, which provide organisations with the increasingly important ability to optimise energy and capacity management, and protect against hackers.
In addition, the 9PX Li-ion UPS comes equipped with Eaton’s Intelligent Power Manager which allows for deep integration with VMware and HyperV virtual environments, improves infrastructure resiliency against adverse power and environmental events through disaster recovery automation, and enables advanced load shedding capabilities to power critical operational loads longer.
“Together with its reduced energy and cooling costs as well as its service life of eight to ten years, Eaton’s 9PX Li-ion UPS delivers overall, long-term TCO savings as it does not require replacement external battery modules, or the additional labour and shipping costs associated. This is particularly true for organisations which face challenges in servicing due to remote locations or large deployments, frequent power outages, or run critical applications that demand zero downtime,” said Jimmy.
“Constant power is required to keep applications or servers running 24/7, especially in the era of edge computing; but this can be detrimental to the environment in the long run,” Yam added. “Balancing business growth and agility in the data-driven economy against sustainability goals is a challenge which organisations will increasingly face. But with the right technology, partners and strategy, businesses will be able to navigate these complex yet complimentary priorities – and ultimately come out ahead.”