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08 NEWS IN BRIEF
The benefit of critical equipment hire amid
a data centre supply chain dilemma
Data centre operators and providers should consider the benefit of critical
equipment hire, following multiple reports of disruption and delays of
infrastructure projects and to the lead times of vital equipment.
According to the Institute for Supply Management, 57% of companies
have noted longer lead times for tier one China-sourced components, with
average lead times more than doubling compared to the end of 2019. With
supply chain issues being reported across the global data centre market,
Aggreko is reminding data centre providers and operators to consider rental
solutions to ensure infrastructure projects or cooling requirements are not
impacted during this crucial time.
Across the globe, construction and maintenance is starting to be phased
back, including significant data centre infrastructure projects. As building
work is ramped up, so too will the demand for equipment and there are
some concerns that the supply chain will not be able to provide the same
support as agreed prior to lockdown.
Whether it is critical equipment for new data centres, testing facility
capacity or sourcing replacement parts during the maintenance of existing
facilities, implementing a temporary rental solution can keep facilities in
operation when waiting for components and critical equipment to arrive.
Rental power and cooling solutions are scalable and flexible. Any output
requirements can be satisfied over any period of time, and this can be
adapted if these requirements or timeframes change.
If the arrival of components and parts that are required during the
construction or maintenance of a data centre is delayed in any way,
operations could see significant delays. With data centre demand at a peak
in order to facilitate remote working and medical data storage, and with a
rise in demand for new infrastructure to facilitate emerging tech - such as 5G
- downtime or delays are simply not an option.
“Rental solutions could mean the continuation of operations when there
are delays in the delivery of critical equipment,” says Chris Rason, Managing
Director at Aggreko. “Whether it is a power or cooling system, temporary
solutions are scalable and flexible and so can be implemented in any size of
data centre for however long they may be required.”
He adds, “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Aggreko has continued
to operate at full capacity. This means that rental can provide a stop-gap
solution for data centre projects, while the supply chain returns to capacity.
As the data centre industry starts to return, having an added safety net of
rental equipment can ensure delays are minimised.” n
Schneider Electric introduces Easy
UPS 3L 500 and 600 kVA
Schneider Electric has introduced the Easy UPS 3L, the newest part of the Easy UPS 3-phase
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) range, extending the medium range to 500 and 600 kVA
(400V) for external batteries. Available in all regions that support 400V except China and
Japan, the Easy UPS 3L simplifies and streamlines configuration and service, delivering high
availability and predictability to medium and large commercial buildings, data centres, and
light industrial UPS applications.
With its compact footprint, highly available parallel and redundant design, and robust
electrical specifications, Easy UPS 3L protects critical equipment in a wide range of
environments from damage due to power outages, surges, and spikes. It is up to 96%
efficient to bring predictability to utility costs. Easy UPS 3L includes a wide battery voltage
window and accommodates a variety of battery configurations including battery banks. It
comes with a full range of options and accessories making it easy to integrate into different
environments.
“Thanks to an exceptional combination of competitive specifications; robust, flexible,
and fault-tolerant design that enhances availability; and an optimised footprint that saves
valuable real estate, the Easy UPS 3L is the ideal choice for easy business continuity and
optimised investment, whether it’s on your shop floor or in your electrical room,” said
Mustafa Demirkol, Global VP, 3-Phase UPS Offer Management & Marketing, Schneider
Electric. “It is easy to configure, easy to use, and easy to service. By further extending the
Easy UPS 3-phase range, Schneider Electric continues to fill a market need by offering easy,
robust, and competitive solutions that prioritise safety, efficiency, and availability for today’s
connected businesses.”
Customers benefit from Schneider’s global service setup with strong local networks of
service specialists that provide customers with a complete range of services throughout the
entire Easy UPS 3L lifecycle. The start-up service is included to ensure the Easy UPS 3L is
properly and safely configured for best performance, reliability, safety, and peace of mind. n
Q Associates acquires
Apex Group
Q Associates has announced the acquisition of Apex Group.
The combined company will employ around 80 staff, with
turnover in the region of £35M.
Apex Group complements Q Associates’ data centre
infrastructure and data management solutions. In addition
to specialist networking capabilities encompassing LAN,
WAN and WiFi technologies, Apex Group brings a range of
cloud migration and integration services with significant
expertise around Microsoft Azure Cloud, Modern Workplace,
Business Applications and Data Analytics.
Together, these will offer significant value to Q Associates
clients across all sectors as they increasingly rely on
Microsoft technologies to deliver critical workloads.
“The acquisition of Apex Group represents a significant
development for Q Associates and our clients who are
striving to embrace the benefits of digital transformation
and cloud productivity,” said David Cue, Founder and
Managing Director of Q Associates. “This is a key step as we
continue to expand our digital services portfolio, supporting
customers with specialist services across modern workplace,
data centre and cloud environments.”
Gerry Allan, Managing Director of Apex Group joins the
Q Associates board. “The move will benefit both parties,” he
said. “Our combined technical capability will enable us to
support customers with a full range of expert services at a
time when the IT landscape is rapidly evolving.” n
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