IO Blog
A growing number of enterprises are discovering that a modular data center is the perfect fit for their IT needs. A relatively new concept, modular data centers give organizations a flexible, reliable and energy efficient way of deploying an always-on IT and network facility quickly and at an affordable price.
For enterprises that are still stuffing their critical IT systems into unconditioned, unsecured and unmonitored places, such as server and telecommunications closets or spare office spaces, a modular data center opens the door to secure and redundant IT and network services. The approach provides a ready-made solution for the various problems associated with improvised and poorly planned data centers, including overheating, insufficient or unprotected power resources, poor security and improper equipment installation.
Here’s why a modular platform may be the answer to your data center needs:
Rapid Deployment. Enterprises can procure and deploy a modular data center in a fraction of the time required to design and build a new data center or overhaul an existing data center.
Fully-Integrated. Next-generation modular data centers, like the i/o ANYWHERE™ platform, includes 100 percent of the critical infrastructure needed for an always-on data center, including compartmentalization, continuous cooling and concurrent maintainability, as well as primary and backup power generation, power conditioning, network connectivity and a management operating system that provides monitoring, alarming and remote control capabilities.
Scalability. Thanks to its building-block design, a modular data center can easily scale along with your business, allowing extra data center capacity (i.e. power, cooling, network connectivity) to be deployed quickly. Since you never know where your business needs may take your data center, you should look for a modular platform that can easily scale to tens of megawatts of uninterruptible power and thousands of cabinets in a single deployment.
High-Density Computing. A scalable modular data center is designed to meet your growing IT infrastructure requirements. Look for a provider that can configure the platform for today’s high-density IT environments.
Geographic Flexibility. By taking a modular approach, your enterprise gets to decide the data center’s physical location without sacrificing any vital support and service resources. A modular data center can be deployed anywhere in the world and is not confined to a particular geography or terrain. Ideally, you should look for a platform that offers international plug & play capabilities. This will help to reduce in-market costs for setup and inspections.
Quality Design. While some initial market entrants supplied modular structures that were nothing more than repurposed shipping containers (a discomforting thought), a modern, high-quality modular data center is designed from the start to function as an enterprise-grade data center solution. A state of the art structure completely protects both equipment and data and is managed to a 100 percent uptime service level agreement.
Flexible Configuration. A scalable modular data center allows all basic components—including servers and cabinets—to be easily added as business and IT needs evolve. Make sure the modular platform you choose can accommodate large storage arrays and main frames. Many of the current containerized offerings force you to put your IT gear in their cabinets or event use their equipment.
Lower Costs. Thanks to interchangeable components and various pre-designed features, a modular data center typically costs significantly less to deploy and expand than its traditionally built counterpart. A faster time to deployment also allows enterprises to begin deriving financial benefits from their new data center much sooner.
