Canadian Government Executive - Volume 27 - Issue 04

July/August 2021 // Canadian Government Executive / 7 Sponsored Content PERSPECTIVE day’s climate emergency, maintaining the status quo isn’t enough. Incorporating sustainability across operations provides several advantages, both from a cost-savings and environ- mental perspective. The data centre of the future will be required to accommo- date a company’s complete upstream and downstream supply chain sustain- ability data footprint. In addition to looking at their own direct and indirect emissions, organizations must consider emissions generated across the supply chain by engaging with and evaluating suppliers who have already succeeded in reigning in their own emissions. To further maximize on their energy consumption, data centre managers should take advantage of existing ener- gy management solutions like Schnei- der Electric’s EcoStruxure™ IT Expert, which provides complete insight into a data centre’s energy consumption, from temperature to power utilization, to help promote greater sustainability and manage energy costs. As more organizations set net zero emission targets and make sustainabil- ity a top priority, it will be imperative to ensure the data centres they employ to process and store information are also implementing clear sustainability mea- sures. 2. Focus on Boosting Efficiency Across Operations With an increased focus on sustain- ability comes the need for data centres to ensure efficiency across operations. Every individual or organization that depends on connectivity, relies on high- speed responses. Data centre systems – from power and distribution to heating and cooling – must remain reliable and efficient to deliver fast user-response times, ensure operations run smoothly and keep customers happy. While data centres contain hundreds, or even thousands of servers, small ef- ficiencies can save operators millions of dollars, while simultaneously improving the user experience. By implement- ing devices with intelligent sensors, leading-edge technologies and remote monitoring capabilities, data centres can proactively keep up with current demand, while preparing for the future. These solutions will help drive efficien- cy, provide faster alerting and allow for more precise diagnostics, leading to fewer instances of downtime. 3. Keep Flexibility at the Forefront of Future Planning As employers navigate hybrid work- ing conditions and supply chains con- tinue to face new challenges, prepar- ing for future uncertainties and how to respond should be a top priority. In today’s changing environment, a new mentality for success has emerged: ac- celerate your ability to deliver goods and services with speed and precision. While it’s impossible to predict what the next year has in store, implement- ing more flexible and resilient data centre designs will allow owners to pivot quickly and scale based on need. Bringing high-data volume workloads closer to the users through edge data centres is one way to address fluctuat- ing market requirements. For example, Mackenzie Health – a healthcare provider serving Ontario’s York Region – installed Schneider Electric’s Prefabricated EcoStruxure™ Modular Data Centre to increase reli- ability across its hospital sites in 2020. The Prefabricated Modular Data Centre concept removed the cost, complexity and future expansion constraints of having to build and maintain a data centre within the hospital by placing it outside hospital walls. This approach provides the flexibility to change the data centre footprint and compute capabilities, thus ensuring continuous, quality patient care. As edge data centres become in- creasingly popular, the need for speed and accuracy in these environments will require solutions that save space, adapt quickly and provide ease of re- mote programming and monitoring. 4. Remain Resilient, Time & Time Again Our reliance on IoT connected devices is higher than ever before. In addition to shifting to remote work, many Ca- nadians relied on digital tools to access key services online during the pandem- ic. Critical infrastructure like hospitals have also become increasingly reliant on digitized systems to store patient records, run machinery, and support patient diagnosis. As dependency on these solutions increases, so does the expectation that data centres keep up. Not only is downtime expensive, but it can have serious consequences. With downtime no longer an option, organi- zations need data centres that proac- tively identify potential points of failure. Today, powerful AI-based tools, includ- ing Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Solution, collect data from various sen- sors on a regular basis and analyze this information to provide insight into po- tential issues and when they may occur. When selecting a data centre pro- vider, it’s important to look at the pro- grams, processes and tools they have in place to minimize these risks and sup- port rapid reaction and recovery in the event of an unplanned event. This will ensure organizations are in a better po- sition to control outcomes during times of crisis and uncertainty. Benefit from A Cybersecurity Envelope With more individuals, businesses and government agencies connected to IoT devices, the pandemic has exasperated existing concerns surrounding cyberse- curity. As employees shifted to remote work, organizations were forced to pivot their business and IT operations quickly. As a result, this opened op- portunities for additional points of fail- ure. To operate a truly successful data centre – and to achieve the greatest growth potential – a built-in safety net of advanced cybersecurity will be re- quired across each of the above pillars. By incorporating the four pillars out- lined above – Sustainability, Efficiency, Flexibility and Resilience – and estab- lishing strong cybersecurity measures, data centre managers can ensure their operations are ready to take on the de- mands of today, and tomorrow. David O’Reilly is currently Vice President of the Secure Power and Home & Distribution Divisions at Schneider Electric Canada. David joined Schneider Electric in April 2017. Prior to joining Schneider, David has held a variety of senior roles at organizations over his 25-year career, including roles at Telus, The Williams Group, Deloitte & Touche, Bell Canada and Netscape Communications. David is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University (’94). Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management and automa- tion. Schneider Electric was recently named the World’s Most Sustainable Corporation by Corporate Knights.