FEATURE : DATA CENTRE SOLUTIONS
( CFD ) combined with expert modernisation and retrofit strategies will provide a crucial new lifeline for an industry intent on becoming carbon neutral , and where the oldest data centres will prove most challenging .
Digitising data centre designs
As discussions around digitised experiences such as the Metaverse and NVIDIA ’ s Omniverse gather pace , the emergence of digital twins has been heavily publicised within the tech sector . More recently , the technology has become a truly viable solution for data centre operators seeking to decarbonise , where scalable industrial software has become unified with traditional control and monitoring capabilities to enable a deeper and more granular understanding of day-to-day operations . For those unaware , digital twins are virtual or digital representations of a physical asset , object or manufacturing process . They enable the use of sophisticated modelling , allowing users to examine key areas of design , including the electrical power train , for greater resilience , efficiency and sustainability .
Digitising data centre designs allows components and subsystems to be substituted based on their environmental impact , anticipated energy efficiency and technical performance – all prior to deployment in real-world applications . Going forward , I believe that digital twins , Virtual Reality ( VR ) and advanced modelling will become more prominent in all areas of the data centre life cycle .
AI and Machine Learning at the edge
The impact of generative AI and applications such as ChatGPT have been hailed as the next disruptive force in data centre design and operations . Yet for those responsible for hybrid IT and distributed Edge Computing environments , AI and ML are unlocking a host of new capabilities to accelerate security , sustainability and resilience . With more infrastructure moving to the network edge , software systems have had to quickly evolve , utilising the scale of the cloud and open APIs to offer greater integration , clearer visibility and simplified management capabilities for potentially thousands of IT sites .
I believe this year we ’ ll see new advancements in data centre software that truly harness the power of AI and ML , offering a new era of energy savings , reduced cost and lower carbon emissions for owners and operators .
Coaching and equal opportunities can mitigate the talent shortage
A final observation – and one synonymous with the industrial sector – is the skills gap , a significant challenge in terms of new and existing talent . According to the Uptime Institute , ‘ The most successful employers in the sector take multiple steps to attract and retain top talent , including revisiting advertised job requirements , implementing training and mentoring programmes and ensuring adequate diversity efforts ’.
I believe that a greater focus on diversity , equity and inclusion ( DEI ), in parallel to leadership coaching and mentoring , are some of the primary ways to address the skills gap . In an industry where over 75 % of businesses report their workforce is around 10 % women or less , it ’ s clear to see that accelerating career paths for female leaders and those training in STEM
subjects will be vital to the industry ’ s future .
Addressing all these challenges will not only require the use of cutting-edge technologies , but greater collaboration between a range of stakeholders – from vendors to consumers and utilities to policy makers . Personally , I ’ m looking forward to working across the ecosystem to contribute and help solve these important issues . p
Mark Yeeles , VP for Schneider Electric ’ s Secure Power Division UK and Ireland
HAVING RECENTLY JOINED THE INDUSTRY FROM THE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SECTOR , THE FIRST THING
THAT STRUCK ME IS THE GENERAL LACK OF
AWARENESS ABOUT DATA CENTRES WITHIN THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE .
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