Figures from Gartner suggest that 75% of enterprise-generated data will be created at the edge by 2025. However, security, speed of deployment, remote management and resilience will be among the key challenges for infrastructure located in these edge environments. According to Jamie Bourassa, VP Edge Computing, at Schneider Electric, a collaborative approach will be required to solve the challenges of the edge. Furthermore, reports suggest that the ability to pre-configure technology platforms and devices before shipment can increase deployment speed and reduce field engineering costs by 25-40%.
As part of a collaborative approach to infrastructure deployment, a new micro data centre solution has been launched, combining Schneider Electric’s physical infrastructure with Cisco’s HyperFlex Edge, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI). Purpose-built for the edge and certified for Cisco HyperFlex platforms, APC Micro Data Centres simplify IT deployment and minimise risk with a self-contained, secure data centre infrastructure and management software for hyperconverged infrastructures.
Suitable for IT room and non-climate controlled environments, APC Micro Data Centres are designed to reduce the need for on-site IT support staff, prevent unauthorised access through a physically secure enclosure, and help maximise uptime with 24/7 digital remote monitoring. According to Schneider Electric, deployment time, cost and complexity are reduced by the new Micro Data Centre solution. Several new reference designs for HyperFlex deployments are available, which can be customised to meet the specific micro data centre demands.
The new offering is part of Schneider Electric and Cisco’s commitment to delivering edge and IOT solutions that offer high level of flexibility, resiliency, and speedy deployment.
“Cisco looks forward to more collaboration with Schneider Electric,” said Vijay Venugopal, Sr. Director, HyperFlex Product Management, Cisco. “As the needs for edge compute continue to evolve and the marketplace demands plug-and-play solutions that put the specific needs of the customer front and centre, new solutions like this micro data centre solution with Cisco HyperFlex Edge will be key for success.”
The new solution was launched in Boston, in the US, at Schneider Electric’s recent “Life at The Edge” conference. During the event, the importance of improving resilience at the edge was high on the agenda, along with the need to treat edge sites as “mission critical data centres” in the future.
Visit the APC alliances page to learn more about how Schneider Electric and Cisco are working together to create solutions that power advanced data centre technologies.
