Roundup: News from Data Center World

AFCOM'S Data Center World conference and expo opened yesterday in Nashville with a series of educational sessions. The main program gets underway this morning with a keynote presentation by Equinix CIO Brian Lillie. The exhibit hall opens this afternoon and features 200 leading vendors. A number of companies have released news in association with the show. Here's a roundup:

Wright Line will be spotlighting its Independent Containment System (ICS) at Data Center World. The patent-pending ICS is a free-standing, vendor-neutral containment solution for high-density computing environments that brings together several airflow management strategies. The ICS accepts a variety of end row doors, including café style and single-swing models.The aisle ceilings are constructed of a light-weight steel frame and clear Lexan panels allowing ambient room light to enter the ICS aisle. This also eliminates the need for energy-consuming supplemental lighting. The ceiling accepts 2' x 2' adjustable chimneys which can be added anywhere on the ceiling structure as IT loads increase. At Data Center World, Wright Line will be showing an ICS configuration that can accommodate 10 racks. "We designed the ICS to provide maximum flexibility in all environments," said Carl Cottuli. "Though our DCW demo model will be set up in a hot aisle configuration, the ICS can also be used as a cold aisle containment solution. At Wright Line, our Professional Services Team does not advocate one solution over another. We analyze the data center issues, work with the data center manager and create the solution that is best for that individual center, be it from a hot aisle, cold aisle, or rack-based perspective."

Bick Group announced the launch of the Cloud Computing Quick Assessment Program (CCQA). CCQA provides commercial and government clients with a quick look at their existing IT assets and the potential use of private and public cloud computing resources to bring more cost and operational efficiencies to existing IT. "This program is designed to provide those asking about the viability and application of cloud computing for their existing and future IT assets, with solid initial answers," said David Linthicum, CTO of Bick Group. "We designed this program to look at all architectural assets, including data, applications, and business processing, looking that whatʼs working, what needs improvement, and how the emerging use of private and public clouds can provide value, and where they can provide value."

AFCOM's Data Center Institute (DCI) met Monday at the conference to discuss cloud computing. The group's recommendations will be summarized in an AFCOM DCI Cloud Computing report to be released next month by the AFCOM DCI board members. "In our continuing effort to keep data center managers up to date on the very latest technologies and best business practices, I am pleased to announce that AFCOM's Data Center Institute is in the process of preparing an in-depth report on cloud computing," said Jill Eckhaus, CEO of AFCOM. "This is the report the data center industry has been waiting for. It will include a description of what cloud computing really is, the opportunities and risks for the data center, the various types of clouds such as private, public and hybrid clouds, and many other specific details that a data center manager needs to know in order to intelligently discuss the advantages, disadvantages and best approaches to this technology for their specific data center."

Minicom Advanced Systems, a leading developer of IT & KVM remote access and management solutions, welcomes PDI, a manufacturer of electrical equipment for computer data centers, industrial and commercial buildings, and alternative energy applications to the Data Center Alliance (DCA). The Data Center Alliance, formed with Minicom, Wright Line, ServerTechnology, Uptime Devices and Digi International fills the information gap in the marketplace by providing a centralized, comprehensive source for building successful IT infrastructures. "In addition to the opportunities that this partnership offers for significant market expansion, we are looking forward to contributing towards the collaborative efforts by the DCA members to help IT managers with better data center planning and operation," said Dave Mulholland, VP Marketing, Service at PDI. "Joining the DCA is a great way for us to work with the people who keep data centers running efficiently, and to offer PDI's unique, effective solutions to a wider audience."