Iron Mountain acquires Mimosa Systems. Iron Mountain (IRM) announced it has acquired content archiving solutions company Mimosa Systems, Inc. for approximately $112 million. The acquisition allows Iron Mountain to have an all-in-one, on-premise archive to complement their existing cloud archives. “This deal strengthens Iron Mountain’s position in the market as a comprehensive provider of information management solutions,” said Arun Taneja, founder and consulting analyst of the Taneja Group. “Its customers now have greater flexibility to store and manage their information onsite or in the cloud, where it makes sense for their budget and business.”

APC introduces NetShelter SX. APC by Schneider Electric announced the NetShelter SX Networking Enclosure, designed for improved support for high density networking applications. When combined with the new Side Airflow Duct Kit, the Networking Enclosure provides complete isolation of hot exhaust and cold intake for large switches and SAN directors.  Also included in the enclosure are integrated high density cable managers that offer enough cable capacity for 768 data ports. The Side Airflow Duct Kit is designed to be compatible with Cisco 6509, 6513, 9509, and 9513 series switches.

Hong Kong Exchange plans data center. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) announced plans for a next generation data center to meet business expansion needs. A 118,000 square foot site was acquired to construct a three-story data center and information technology office space. This data center will consolidate all primary data centers for HKEX’s markets and clearing house systems, as well as certain IT development and support staff. Completion of the facility is expected around mid-2012.

BLADE Network announces new switches.  BLADE Network Technologies announced the availability of -48 volt DC-powered top-of-rack Ethernet switches for telco central office networks and data center environments.  “BLADE’s new DC RackSwitch products improve energy efficiency by up to 35 percent by eliminating the need for DC to AC inverters that would otherwise be required,” said Tim Shaughnessey, vice president of marketing for BLADE.  The new RackSwitch G8000 and RackSwitch G8124 join the product family in offering BLADE’s Unified Fabric Architecture. The new DC-powered RackSwitch products are available now with list prices of $12,550 and $5,795 for the G8124-DC and G8000-DC respectively.

• Telecom acquisition rumors. Separate reports recently show Deutsche Telecom thinking about purchasing Sprint Nextel and Seeking Alpha revisits the rumor about Google buying Level3.  Marketwatch reports that German telecommunications giant and T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telecom might bid for Sprint Nextel within the next few weeks.   The Telecom Ramblings blog sums up the Google/Level3 rumor nicely as “baseless yet immortal rumor”.  Both Google and Level3 stocks were up Monday.
• Cincinnati Bell opens new Ohio data center. Wholly owned subsidiary of Cincinnati Bell CBTS announced Monday that they have opened a new facility in Lebanon, Ohio.  The 50,000 square foot data center will offer colocation, disaster recovery and managed services.  The Lebanon facility will be connected to the CBTS DWDM network and five other facilities in the Cincinnati area.  CBTS is providing premier data center services to Fortune 1000 companies in 25,000 square foot of space and an additional 25,000 square foot is ready to receive additional customers.
• Ingram Micro unveils Australian data center. Distribution giant Ingram Micro announced Monday that it opened an AUS$6 million data center in Sydney.  The facility, branded as the Partner Technology Centre will help Ingram demonstrate partner solutions and is backed by 12 suppliers.  Equipment on show at the site will come from Avocent, APC, Brocade, Cisco, EMC, Fortinet, HP, HP ProCurve, IBM, Microsoft, Symantec and VMware.  The Sydney facility is based on green datacentre practices and will undergo certification through Carbon Planet.

• Storwize partners with Hitachi Data Systems. Storage capacity optimization company Storwize announced it has joined the Hitachi Data Systems Technology Alliance Program to offer real-time compression to Hitachi storage customers.  ”Hitachi Data Systems customers want to better utilize their storage capacity across multiple tiers and applications to meet the continued growth of file-based data,” said Marc Trimuschat, Senior Director, Worldwide Technology Alliances at Hitachi. As a part of the partnership Storwize has tested and validated their real-time compression appliances with the Hitachi NAS platform.
• Force 10 Interoperability in DoD networks. Network infrastructure company Force10 Networks announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has listed the Adit 600 Converged Services Access Gateway on the Unified Capabilities Approved Products List (UCAPL).  The listing comes after extensive security and interoperability testing performed by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC).  The Adit 600 combines multi-network access and multi-service delivery capabilities into a single chassis.  Force10 Networks recently announced 3rd quarter results, with dramatic sequential revenue growth.  Third quarter revenues increased 24% from the previous quarter and the company’s ExaScale switch/router product contributed to growth significantly.  In April 2009 Force10 merged with Turin Networks.

• DataPipe rolls out 3PAR services. Utility storage provider 3PAR announced Monday that Cloud-Agile partner DataPipe now offers differentiated virtual private array (VPA) and disaster recovery (DR) services as a part of their Stratosphere cloud services, which are powered by 3PAR Utility Storage.  DataPipe’s cloud platform leverages VMware and 3PAR to offer a managed, secure virtualized service. “We now have the opportunity to expand our cloud service offerings in the areas of security and compliance to increase the value we offer our customers,” said Michael Parks, Chief Technology Officer for DataPipe.  The 3PAR ASSURED product allows DataPipe to use remote copy, data replication, DR and automatic data backup to end users.  The 3PAR SECURED product offers isolated, secure virtual private array servies.
• Peak 10 deploys VMware vSphere 4.  Data center operator Peak 10 announced the delivery of Private Cloud Infrastructure Solutions, via VMware’s vSphere 4 platform.  The platform offers customers pools of virtualized resources that federate between on and off-premise environments on-demand and with ease.  By using vSphere 4 Peak 10 customers can maintain the integrity of their data and applications, while migrating to the cloud platform.  Peak 10’s leadership team are in San Francisco this week attending the VMworld 2009 conference.  Enhancements allowed from Peak 10’s vSphere 4 platform include twice as many virtual processors per virtual machine, four times the memory, three-times increase in network throughput, and additional SAN tiers available for high-end databases.

• Equinix hosting annual Asia Peering Forum. Equinix announced Monday that it is hosting the annual Asia Peering Forum in Bangkok, from August 31st to September 2nd.  The south east Asia market has been growing in popularity and the peering forum offers a place to match network service providers with content providers, looking for interconnection strategies.   A key speaker at the event will be former Equinix senior network engineer Louis Lee.  Lee is the Chairman of the Address Council, The Address Supporting Organization, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ASO) and he will provide an update on the current global policy proposals that relate to IP addresses and AS numbers.
• APC by Schneider Electric joins Microsoft System Center Alliance. APC has joined the Microsoft System Center Alliance to enhance and provide support for critical physical infrastructure monitoring and management through the integration of APC InfraStrucXure Central with System Center Operations Manager 2007.  The integration of the two products will give managers the ability to view and manage physical infrastructure, including power, cooling, physical space and security, as well as a comprehensive view of servers, applications, and clients within the data center.  APC’s Alistair Pim said ”Linking the physical and server environments with the APC Management Pack through Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 allows customers to better understand the impact of physical layer changes on business applications.”

Last week APC and Australian data center engineering specialist Datapod Pty Ltd announced that they are partnering to launch the Datapod system of containerized data center infrastructure solutions. Datapod containers are designed and manufactured in Australia, and feature container “building blocks” in a variety of sizes, which can include either IT equipment or power and cooling gear such as modular generators and chillers.

APC will initially distribute Datapod in Australia and the Pacific region and then target global markets. “We are excited to be delivering this breakthrough data center technology as part of our plans to support government and industry investment in Australian infrastructure projects,” said Gordon Makryllos, APC Vice President, Pacific. “APC has a proven reputation of investing in Australian innovation and supporting Australian companies.”

Datapod uses APC’s InfraStruXure data center architecture, Hot Aisle Containment System and InRow Cooling solutions. The containers range up to a 20-foot shipping container, and can include both all-in-one containers with both IT and infrastructure equipment, or specialized modules which can include “entrypods” that serve as access control man-trap systems or “utilitypods” holding generators and fuel tanks. Here’s a short video providing an overview of several of the container form factors:

For more news from APC, visit our APC Channel. For additional video, check out our DCK video archive and the Data Center Videos channel on YouTube.

One of the biggest of these deals was Schneider Electric’s $6.1 billion acquisition of American Power Conversion (APC), which closed in early 2007. Schneider says it is beginning to leverage the company’s full array of data center offerings as it works with major data center operators.

“The thing that’s interesting now is the level of integration and breadth of offering we can bring to this,” said John de Pippo, a solutions VP at Schneider who also is a Senior VP for Software and Services at APC. “We can offer a lot of ways a customer can get energy efficiency throughout its operations. Schneider really has the ability to do that with all the resources it has.”

An example is the company’s relationship with Switch Communications, which is building the 407,000 square foot SuperNAP in Las Vegas. Switch is buying up to 60 APC 1.4 megawatt UPS units and potentially thousands of server racks, as well as Square D circuit breakers and controllers and Pelco security products.

Schneider isn’t alone in expanding through acquisitions.

• HP has also been building its data center product and service portfolio through acquisition, including a $1.6 billion deal for Opsware ,the acquisition of EYP Mission Critical for its design/build expertise, and its $13.9 billion merger with EDS.
• Eaton has grown through its acquisitions of Powerware, Pulizzi Engineering, Aphel and the MGE Small Systems Unit.
• Emerson Network Power (EMR) acquired Aperture, a leading provider of data center management software, which will expand its offerings to data center clients using its Liebert line of power and cooling products. Emerson also pursued a deal for UK UPS specialist Chloride.

“It’s an arms race between us, Group Schneider, Eaton and others in this space to prove that value proposition to our customers,” said Jack Pouchet, the Director of Energy Initiatives for Emerson Network Power’s Liebert business. “Aperture fits into everything we do, and we see it playing a more significant role in data center asset management. We see that there’s going to be a significant play to an integrated, systematic approach to the data center.”

Sometimes that integrated approach involves deeper partnerships with a handful of major vendors, who must then work together collectively to support the client. That’s what happened with RagingWire Enterprise Solutions in Sacramento, which in early 2007 formed strategic partnerships with its major equipment suppliers, including Emerson Network Power (UPS and CRACs), Schneider Electric’s Square D (circuit breakers), Johnson Controls’ York unit (chillers) and Cummins Inc. (generators). “For us it was about account management

APC has begun publishing data for its three-phase and single-phase uninterruptible power supplies, power distribution units and InRow cooling solutions on its Web site. An examples can be seen on this product page (scroll down to find “Energy Use/Efficiency), showing the equipment’s efficiency at a variety of loads.

APC said it is providing the detailed energy information to make it easier for customers, integrators and channel partners to select products to meet efficiency (DCiE) objectives for their data center system. The company expects that component and systems manufacturers will all eventually provide this information on their respective products.

“APC feels passionately about providing accurate data on the actual electrical efficiency of its products to customers and others to help simplify the process of determining overall system efficiency,” said Neil Rasmussen, senior vice president of Innovation at APC. “For example, for devices that transform or process energy, we will provide a graphical representation of the efficiency or loss performance as a function of rated load across the product’s operating range.”

Initially, APC will publish the electrical efficiency data on the company’s U.S.-based Web site. In time, the company will make this information available in other countries where it operates.

APC unveiled the new tools today at a media presentation in West Kingston, Rhode Island. “The demand for higher densities, for higher efficiencies to defray rising energy costs, and for 7 x 24 x 365 uptime are taxing existing data centers with an unprecedented level of complexity,” APC said. “APC TradeOff Tools are designed to reduce complexity by helping data center professionals quickly identify their data center preferences and weigh those preferences against their budgetary and physical environment constraints.”

Seven different tools are now available on the web at tools.apc.com. They include:

• Data Center Energy Efficiency Calculator: This tool profiles a data center to calculate efficiency and electrical cost. As the user inputs details of the power and cooling configuration, and results are calculated based on a tested and validated three-parameter efficiency model.
• Data Center Capital Cost Calculator: This tool identifies calculates capital costs based on parameters including load, redundancy, density, and power/cooling characteristics, the tool can project the number of racks required and the floor space required.
• Power Sizing Calculator: This tool defines basic characteristics of the IT load and calculates how much utility input power would be required to support that load, allowing users to experiment with “what if” scenarios by modifying the load characteristics of servers, mainframes, and storage. Total load is then calculated and the tool generates a corresponding utility power requirement.

• Carbon Calculator: This estimates how “green” a data center is by converting energy usage rates into carbon emissions. The tool illustrates how hypothetical changes to a data center’s location, efficiency, and power load can impact carbon dioxide emissions and the electric bill.
• Virtualization Energy Cost Calculator: This tool illustrates potential IT, physical infrastructure, and energy savings resulting from the virtualization of servers. It allows the user to input data regarding data center capacity, load, number of servers, energy cost, and other data center elements.
• InRow Containment Selector: This tool generates a prototype rack and row cooling configuration based on the user’s layout preferences and the physical constraints of the room.
• AC vs. DC Calculator: Users can compare the energy efficiency of four different power distribution architectures, including Legacy AC (typically 208 V with older data center UPS, PDU, and IT power supplies), Best Practice AC (208 V with latest generation UPS, PDU, and IT power supplies), 415 V AC (same modern components as Best Practice AC, but eliminates the PDUs and assumes 230 V AC power supplies), and 380 V DC (uses a theoretical DC UPS, no PDUs, and IT power supplies with 1.5% efficiency benefit).

Amid the building buzz around containers, one of the earliest entrants in the mobile data center sector has sold its first unit. San Francisco General Hospital has purchased APC’s first InfraStruXure Express, a fully mobile data center in a 53-foot long trailer. APC introduced the “data center on wheels” in October 2004, a full two years before Sun Microsystems unveiled Project Blackbox.

The hospital will use the portable data center as expansion space while San Francisco General builds a new data center as part of a major rebuilding project. The new hospital facilities may not be completed until at least 2012, and perhaps 2015 – hence the need for InfraStruXure Express. The unit includes a network operations center (NOC), two Symmetra UPS systems, in-row cooling, and 11 NetShelter enclosures providing up to 500U of space.

“They are completely maxed out (of data center space)” said Dan Whelan of APC, part of the team that helped the hospital purchase and install the unit. The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation provided a grant to support San Francisco General’s purchase of the InfraStruXure Express.

The staff at San Francisco General spent a year considering different options for temporary data space, and reviewed other modular data center solutions, according to Whelan. Although two of the leading providers of container-based data centers are within a short drive of San Francisco – Sun is in Santa Clara, while Rackable Systems is in Fremont – the hospital went with the InfraStruXure Express, which has often parked behind APC’s headquarters in West Kingston, Rhode Island.

“They looked at everything else, and this was the only solution that was completely turn-key,” he said. A factor that may have helped APC is the fact that San Francisco General hasn’t standardized on particular provider’s gear. “APC doesn’t have server vendors tie-in, which allows the flexibility to use what you please,” said Whalen.

The InfraStruXure Express unit was installed in February, with San Francisco General using just the trailer, and not the truck cab that was also available. APC has a team of support specialist available for the unit, but all has gone well thus far.

Whelan said APC has gotten more inquiries about InfraStruXure Express as interest has grown in container solutions being implemented by Microsoft and others. He said it would take about three months to prepare another unit for delivery.

Providing instant feedback on dueling approaches to power problems is one goal of the 100,000 square foot facility, which is designed as a testbed for Schneider and its customers and industry partners to design efficient approaches to power and cooling. The data center is equipped with the latest power efficiency technology and sturdy infrastructure to run high-density installations that have been problematic in legacy data centers.

“This will be a facility dedicated to practical solutions, not hype,” said Aaron Davis, chief marketing officer of APC-MGE, the U.S. unit of European power conglomerate Schneider Electric, which acquired APC for $6.1 billion last year. “We’re not making this investment saying APC has all the answers and solutions. We’re welcoming the community to come in and benefit from this investment.”

The Green Grid is one of the groups taking Schneider up on its invitation. Members of the group’s board were on hand Tuesday at a grand opening tour of the facility, which is designed to accommodate traditional customer testing but can also simulate extreme heat and cold environments.

“The data center market is very risk-averse,” said Don Lipton, the founder of SprayCool and one of the Green Grid board members in attendance. “You’ve got to have test centers and pilot projects so people can calculate the effectiveness and cost of new approaches.”

“There’s no data center manager I know that will allow us to experiment in their data center in real-time,” said John Pflueger, Technology Strategist for Dell and Green Grid board member. “That’s the sort of stuff were can do here. We can do what-ifs and identify different trends and approaches.”

The O’Fallon facility is wired for 7.5 megawatts of power, with two 1.75 megawatt chillers and cooling towers providing 2.1 megawatts of heat rejection, according to APC-MGE. The data center includes 11,000 square feet of working raised floor space for customer testing and equipment demos, as well as a 9,000 square foot area with dual air chambers to create test environments ranging from 50 degrees to 110 degrees. It currently has one 2 megawatt generator, with space for two more.

Customers can lease time in the center to test-drive designs and equipment, which APC officials said would typically cost from $5,000 up to $100,000, depending upon the nature of the testing.

Laurent Vernerey, president and chief executive of APC-MGE, said the O’Fallon data center’s purpose evolved as the company got feedback from customers grappling with cooling challenges. “This facility started as a way for us to have a cooling lab to try to test out problems,” he said. “It has turned into an opportunity to help our industry meet its moral imperative.”

“A lot of people write white papers, but they don’t always take that knowledge and say ‘do it’,” said Rob Johnson VP for North America for APC-MGE. “This is putting those systems together with parts that are already out there. We don’t have to wait until tomorrow for that 30, 40 or 50 percent improvement. We can do it now.”