Schneider Electric Unveils Innovations to Prepare IT Infrastructure for Net Zero Operations

• Schneider Electric-commissioned research exposes sustainability action gap in the data center and IT industries

• Latest innovations support the next wave of sustainability and resiliency in data centers and distributed edge IT

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, today shared the initial findings of three independent research studies to better understand the maturity of sustainability initiatives within IT and data center organizations, and more specifically, where the IT and data center industry stand in achieving this vision of net-zero IT operations. To help IT professionals and solution providers address ongoing IT deployment pain points in data centers and distributed edge IT, Schneider Electric introduced APC Smart-UPS Ultra, the industry’s first 3kW 1U single-phase Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and the lightest 5kW 2U single-phase UPS. Simultaneously, Schneider Electric announced the modernization of its EcoStruxure IT Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software portfolio for the monitoring and management of hybrid IT infrastructure, and the latest evolution of the company’s integrated systems, EcoStruxure Data Center Solutions, to support deployment of distributed IT networks in all environments.

451 Research, Forrester and Canalys independently collected data from more than 3,000 global participants, including the largest colocation and cloud providers, IT solution providers and IT professionals across many segments and organization sizes. Overall, findings consistently demonstrate that across the data center and IT industry, there is a discrepancy between where companies think they are and where they actually are in implementing full lifecycle sustainability programs across their IT infrastructure. According to the 451 Research findings, in surveying 1,100 IT professionals responsible for core and distributed IT, whereas 26% of participants self-identified as having a full lifecycle sustainability program covering all the infrastructure, only 14% are taking the actions to have implemented the programs. The analysis further identifies 22% as not addressing sustainability as a major focus, though may have efficiency initiatives to improve specific areas of operations.

Steven Lee, Director, Secure Power, Schneider Electric Hong Kong (left) and Joanne Ng, Product Marketing Manager, Schneider Electric Hong Kong (right) introduced the latest innovations that support the next wave of sustainability and resiliency in data centers and distributed edge IT, including the launch of the 3kW and 5kW models of APC Smart-UPS Ultra, the expansion of EcoStruxure IT DCIM software and EcoStruxure Data Center solutions.

“The data center boom is leading to an energy paradox. Electricity 4.0 is the fastest route to a net-zero future. All data centers – including distributed edge data centers -- must be more sustainable, efficient, adaptive, and resilient,” says Steven Lee, Director, Secure Power, Schneider Electric Hong Kong. “According to the research findings, sustainability is the top agenda in the industry, while challenges still exist to taking action and will take a collaborative effort to overcome. The good news is the technology already exists to deliver Electricity 4.0 today.”

APC Smart-UPS Ultra – lightest single-phase 3kW and 5kW UPS on the market

The acceleration of digital technologies and smart applications is driving the need for compute, network, and storage resources that are localized and in close proximity to enable business-critical processes and experiences that rely on network connectivity to the cloud. Yet, configuring, deploying, and maintaining the supporting IT infrastructure for multiple, geographically dispersed sites comes with unique challenges. With the APC Smart-UPS Ultra, Schneider Electric is bringing to market the most advanced single-phase UPS - the industry’s first 3kW 1U UPS and the lightest 5kW UPS on the market, which provides the flexibility to install anywhere and save on the total cost of ownership (TCO) without compromising businesses’ power protection needs.

• Delivering more power in less space: The APC Smart-UPS Ultra’s compact design delivers more power while taking up less IT space, providing the installation flexibility and power density you need for today and into the future. The 3kW UPS’s compact design is up to 50% smaller and lighter than comparable UPS solutions on the market today, while the 5kW UPS is 50% lighter and 30% smaller than other 5kW UPSs. The APC Smart-UPS Ultra offers flexible mounting options including rack, tower or wall/ceiling mounts, so it can be placed out of the way to allow for more space for IT in the rack.

• Lowering TCO with lithium-ion battery: The APC Smart-UPS Ultra’s Lithium-ion battery lasts up to three times longer than a traditional valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) powered UPS and will not need to be replaced under normal operating conditions. This helps to eliminate costly battery replacement, labor and service fees and visits over the life of the UPS, reducing the total cost of ownership.

• Ensuring better visibility anytime, anywhere: With the capabilities of cloud-based monitoring, APC Smart-UPS Ultra is EcoStruxure ready, delivers data-driven recommendations to optimize performance, and enables wherever-you-go visibility across multiple UPS devices to provide automated, customizable alerts to make preventative maintenance simpler in order to reduce downtime and lower mean time to repair.

The APC Smart-UPS Ultra 5kW and 3kW will be available in Hong Kong starting in Q4 this year and Q1 2023 respectively.

EcoStruxure IT for monitoring and management of hybrid IT infrastructure

Schneider Electric introduced the expansion of its award-winning EcoStruxure IT DCIM software. This update evolves data center infrastructure management software from individual data centers to cover a full, hybrid IT environment and addresses industry requirements for a more resilient, secure, and sustainable IT infrastructure.

The vendor-neutral capabilities enabled by EcoStruxure IT deliver value through customer-driven applications, including:

• Monitoring and Management: Device management for power and cooling devices, as well as physical security and environmental monitoring.

• Planning and Modeling: For visualization, asset tracking, simulation, and change management for over 4000 devices.

• Custom Solutions and Integrations: Tailored solutions to address unique customer requirements through automated reporting, dashboards, migrations, and custom integrations with EcoStruxure IT and third-party systems or software.

EcoStruxure Data Center Solutions to configure IT infrastructure fast

Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Data Center Solutions bring together power, cooling, racks, and management to support deployment of distributed IT networks in all environments.

• EcoStruxure Micro Data Center: All-in-one IT infrastructure within a stand-alone, secure enclosure for protection of critical business applications, including remote monitoring and management, services, physical security, UPS, power distribution, and cooling devices. Ideal for edge and IoT applications where simple and fast deployment, reliability and security are paramount in multiple environments.

• EcoStruxure Row Data Center: Integrated row-based data center solutions to modernize infrastructure are highly configurable and scalable encompassing racks, power, cooling, and management systems, reducing time and complexity from design, installation and operation in today’s hybrid IT world.