What We Learn From Listening to Customers and People in the Data Center Industry

​​​​​​Today's most significant trends in the data center industry have enormous implications for cabinet and containment procurement teams. The three biggest trends are:
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• ​​​​​​Turning older physical infrastructure into cabinet-ready white space and doing it fast.
• Getting more computing power out of smaller footprints and doing it sustainably. 
• Shortening timelines from design through build.

The Legrand team speaks to customers and data center industry folks every day about what they  hear, see, and learn in their roles. Here's a recap of some of the trends they are seeing in the industry today. 

More Projects Than Ever Need Custom Configurations 

While the greenfield, net-new data center facilities constructed en masse a few years ago had their own procurement challenges, today's data center buildouts are utterly different in terms of scope and requirements.

Today, data processing is "pushing to the edge" to bring more computing power closer to users. Still, any given neighborhood in a major metro – or even within a suburban area – is not going to have hundreds of thousands of square feet of space to build neat rows of cabinets along with the necessary containment and thermal management needed.

Since every space in an edge data center is different, each project needs new specifications and requirements and a new approach to sourcing hardware.

When every project is  custom, the more modular and tailorable a cabinet or containment product is, the more flexibility you have. Better yet, when more of the components are integrated at the rack level, the more you can squeeze out of every inch of real estate.

Sustainability is Everyone’s Priority

Up and down the supply chain, everyone is concerned about sustainability and asking compelling questions, such as:
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• What waste is involved in the process, and how could it be reduced?
• Are there new ways we can reuse materials?
• How can we improve on last year's waste management initiatives?
• Are we using every watt of power in our system – and if not, why not, and how can we do better?

Better integrated components, more ingenious technology, and constant innovation are what you must expect from every vendor and partner you work with to achieve sustainability goals for the following year.  You are one step closer when you can package more units together and reuse those packaging materials.

Moving Fast Means Relying on Vendors as True Partners

There is less room for error when tackling data center projects that must be completed in days or weeks rather than months or quarters. With shorter timelines for every phase of a project, you need everything to go according to plan. 

At first glance, one would think investigating individual components and hunting down the best prices and options would save you money. However, this option requires spending precious time to ensure everything works well together in your space.  Every opportunity you have to package and bundle complementary hardware is an opportunity to condense your process and move faster.

Comprehensive, integrated solutions are better suited to achieve a faster turnaround. When you work with a team like Legrand that can bundle racks, PDUs, aisle containment, and thermal management systems – even integrating them down to the rack level – you save time and know your equipment will work efficiently.

Listening to customers informs everything we do. Let us know how you and your teams are adapting to improve thermal management, sustainability, and space utilization.