Schneider Electric, a digital transformation energy management and automation company has announced that its EcoStruxure™ Micro Data Center R-Series for rugged indoor environments will be available in Europe by June 2021. The new IP and NEMA rated micro data centres offer a solution to help manage edge computing infrastructure within challenging industrial and manufacturing environments.
As more industrial operators deploy Industry 4.0 technologies to increase productivity, safety, and automation, micro data centres have become increasingly essential to address everything from the convergence of IT and OT to the enabling of IIoT applications. As part of the launch, six new models are available in 16U, 24U, and 42U sizes to allow for flexibility and scalability.
“As Industry 4.0 and advanced automation technologies continue to drive transformation within industrial environments, IT must be deployed closer to the point of use, enabling increased productivity and efficiency”, said Rob McKernan, SVP, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric, Europe. “The availability of our new IP and NEMA rated EcoStruxure Micro Data Center R-series solutions will help industrial manufacturers and distributors across the region truly reap the benefits of improved performance and reliability on the factory floor”.
EcoStruxure™ Micro Data Center solutions are configurable, pre-packaged, enclosed rack systems that include power, cooling, security, and management. Schneider claims they can save up to 40 per cent in field engineering costs, get systems to market 20 per cent faster, and reduce maintenance costs by seven per cent. Microdata centres take advantage of existing infrastructure and can potentially reduce capital expenses by 48 per cent over a traditional build.
The EcoStruxure Specifier Tool. Image: Schneider Electric.
The new R-series has minimum ingress protection ratings of IP54 and NEMA 12 for industrial edge environments that can be challenging with high levels of dust, moisture, and wide temperature variations. It can also be managed remotely with Schneider Electric’s portfolio of software and digital services when there’s limited-to-no on-site IT staff. EcoStruxure IT, an open, vendor-agnostic platform, provides the power and flexibility for users to manage critical infrastructure on their own, with a partner, or to allow Schneider Electric’s service engineers to manage the assets for them.
Its EcoStruxure™ Micro Data Center solutions are also equipped with security features, such as access control, intrusion detection and a security camera that allow it to go in unsecured locations and able to standardise design across multiple environments with a single, all-in-one-solution.
The new R-Series is available through mySchneider IT Solutions Partners and Schneider Electric sales representatives. A virtual event for industrial professionals will take place on May 18, 2021, exploring how edge computing is helping food & beverage companies accelerate business resilience, performance, and sustainability.
You can find more information about Schneider Electric and its EcoStruxure™ Micro Data Center R-Series on its website.
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