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NEWS IN BRIEF
CommScope and SwIFT consortium research reveals optimistic future
New research commissioned by the European Union underscores the importance of micro fluidics and silicon photonics for remote fibre management . New fibre optic switching technologies could potentially automate manual processes and reduce energy costs across telecommunications , according to the study .
The number of connected devices per person globally is expected to nearly double in five years . As networks add more bandwidth , the number of optical fibre connections is growing significantly . The rise of social platforms , rapid growth in cloud computing and sensors for the Internet of Things are driving the need for more connections that are faster .
To keep up with increased demands for fibre optic switching technology , CommScope and its consortium of industrial , research and academic partners launched SwIFT ( optical Switch combining Integrated photonics and Fluidics Technologies ), a project of the EU ’ s 7th Framework Programme for Information and Communications Technology ICT ( FP7 ). The aim was to develop a low-cost solution for automatic and remote fibre management . The EU granted 1.85 million euros to fund this project .
“ Combining micro fluidics and silicon photonics could give us information in a blink of an eye ,” said Jan Watté , SwIFT project coordinator and group leader of strategic engineering and research & development in Europe , CommScope . “ Dramatic energy savings , reduced floor occupation in the central office and redesigned closures could create a paradigm shift for network operators . The SWIFT concept findings lay the groundwork for further development of industry specifications – we see a huge opportunity for the telecommunications industry , especially for network and data centre operators .” n
DigiPlex Achieves Early ISO 14001:2015 Certification
DigiPlex has become one of the first data centre operators in the world to achieve a successful transition to the ISO 14001:2015 standard , concerning environmental management systems . Following an intense evaluation process , all four DigiPlex data centres have now been certified well ahead of the September 2018 deadline , by which all 300,000 ISO certificates issued worldwide must transition to the new standard .
ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for organisations seeking to manage their environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner . DigiPlex ’ s continued compliance with these standards shows that its data centres meet , and often exceed , the level of service and sustainability demanded by customers .
“ DigiPlex is committed to operating sustainably and to continuous improvement of its environmental performance . We welcome these new standards as they reflect the standards to which we already operate while helping us assure our clients we meet their stringent environmental and operating requirements ,” says CEO Gisle M . Eckhoff .
Shortly after commencing operations in 2001 DigiPlex adopted the policy of exclusively using renewable energy in all its data centres . This policy excluded carbon power , but also all nuclear energy sources . These policies have been maintained ever since and serve to distinguish DigiPlex from the vast majority of its global competition .
Today , data centres are responsible for 2 % of the world ’ s annual CO2 emissions and 3 % of the world ’ s power usage . Despite DigiPlex ’ significant energy requirements , its CO2 output is next to zero , largely due to its access to clean renewable energy in the Nordics .
Nlyte teams up with Rahi Systems to expand DCIM expertise in Europe
Nlyte Software has partnered with Rahi Systems to offer a full suite of products in physical infrastructure , storage , compute and networking . Europe-based Rahi Systems team has achieved technical and commercial accreditation as part of the European Nlyte Partner Network . Rahi System ’ s skilled data centre specialists will act as an extension of the Nlyte Software ’ s brand . Rahi System ’ s mission is to make its customers more successful through the adoption of the best technology for incorporation into data centres . With Nlyte Software , Rahi Systems now has a proven enterprise data centre infrastructure management solution ( DCIM ) – without the complexity of DCIM suite solutions – offering to add to its portfolio .
Rahi Systems ’ customers will be able to plan their future growth with greater efficiency based on informed decisions , using Nlyte Software ’ s solution . These customers tend to have heterogeneous and complex IT estates and are in need of a complete solution that can scale with their business .
All Rahi Systems ’ solutions are built upon the same core tenets : maximised availability , enhanced security , increased efficiency and minimised costs . Its experts are industry veterans who know the challenges that customers face and how data centres can become more efficient by deploying a solution such as Nlyte Software ’ s .
Marcus Doran , Vice President of Sales & General Manager , Rahi Systems Europe , explained : “ The data centre market is undergoing real change . Managers are battling challenges from complexity , cost , and not being able to scale at the pace required . Those who have not embraced DCIM to optimise their infrastructure assets are having to play catch-up to faster operators who are creating more efficient and effective colocation facilities and private data centres . Nlyte ’ s solutions and services complement our infrastructure management portfolio for data centre solutions .” n
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