Comtec invests in state-of-the-art datacentre

Comtec has recently implemented a state-of-the-art micro-datacentre, incorporating one of the first fully operational hydrogen fuel cells within a datacentre environment.

Comtec has experienced phenomenal growth as a successful provider of intelligent 'eco-structure' environments.

To ensure this continues to be the case, Comtec has taken extraordinary steps to maintain its practice-what-we-preach mentality.

In doing so, Comtec has recently implemented a state-of-the-art micro-datacentre, incorporating one of the first fully operational hydrogen fuel cells within a datacentre environment.

Not only does this bolster Comtec's own green credentials, but it also enables its existing and prospect customers to gain a tangible insight into the advantages of new, emerging technologies.

The datacentre really is a testament to the Comtec concept for datacentre design, where infrastructure is right-sized to meet the needs of the business today, with the modularity to scale with the business, not ahead of it.

The datacentre at Comtec, one of only a few recognised as 'blade-ready', has the resilience and back-up power to ensure business continuity for Comtec and its managed service customers.

The following case study highlights the process for implementing an uber-efficient datacentre at Comtec HQ.

A call for action.

Comtec Enterprises, a rapidly growing ICT solutions provider, needed to invest in a datacentre facility that would pay dividends on two levels.

Firstly, the datacentre would be key to providing its customers with the ability to truly experience new datacentre technology, while, at the same time, provide the network critical physical infrastructure required to support Comtec's business-critical applications and those of customers taking advantage of its hosting / managed services capabilities.

Working within the confines of physical space, Comtec needed to ensure its datacentre would provide the longevity required to support its ambitious growth strategy whilst enabling hassle-free maintenance and contributing heavily to Comtec's CSR (corporate social responsibility) objectives.

Planning and execution.

Scalability was a critical requirement for the datacentre, enabling Comtec to balance the needs of power and cooling with what the business requires here and now, and the ability to scale as and when is required.

From the outset, energy efficiency was near the top of the agenda in order to become more environmentally and economically efficient in the use of energy.

Another significant hurdle to overcome was space.

To maximise the space available at its new head offices, Comtec had a particularly innovative solution; they quite literally looked to the heavens.

By planning the amount of ceiling space that the datacentre should occupy, Comtec set about installing a new 'cut for size' re-enforced mezzanine floor plugged minimally and non-disruptively into the upper reaches of valuable warehousing space.

With its extensive knowledge of datacentre technology, Comtec used APC's InfraStruXure range of enclosures and rack-mountable UPS and cooling systems.

The modularity afforded by this solution would maximise Comtec's physical space and deliver cooling directly to hot components, rather than cooling the entire room with air conditioning units.

This solution also enables easy monitoring of the performance of components and the status of UPS systems, ensuring a more proactive approach can be taken to datacentre maintenance.

In provisioning the back-up power for the datacentre Comtec knew that they wanted to use APC's hydrogen fuel cell technology to guarantee maximum network uptime in the most efficient, non-polluting manner available.

After planning the datacentre layout the implementation itself was relatively straight forward, with the fuel cell using up only around half a square metre of floor space - significantly less than a diesel generator.

What is more, with the fuel cell only emitting half a pint of lukewarm water as a waste product (whilst in operation), Comtec's CSR strategy would be given a significantly green boost.

Talking the talk and walking the walk...

Due to the thorough prior planning and extensive technical expertise leveraged by Comtec, the datacentre implementation resulted in maximum efficiency in terms of space, energy use, carbon emissions and maintenance.

The datacentre is also fully capable of supporting high-density environments and uses rack-based architecture to maximise scalability of UPS systems, cooling and application platforms, adhering to the 'pay as you grow' ethos.

Since implementing the datacentre Comtec has enjoyed zero downtime of operations and has the ability to leverage its investment to develop its product and services portfolio and pursue lucrative additional revenue streams.

Technical Specification.

APC InfraStruXure Technical Specifications:.

- APC NetShelter SX rack enclosures that address high-density server and networking applications to achieve a balance between power distribution and cooling.

- APC Symmetra PX UPS power protection system, scalable to 40kW N+1, providing resiliency, redundancy and scalability.

- APC In-Row RC cooling units for greater temperature control that prevents the recirculation of exhaust air to sensitive IT equipment.

- APC InfraStruXure Manager and Central to provide central monitoring of entire APC solution.

- APC Switched Power Distribution Units to provide managed power to all cabinets and monitoring back to management systems.

- APC Environmental Monitoring deployed to provide early warning of changes in the datacentre environment, allowing remedial action to be taken quickly.

- APC 30kW Hydrogen Fuel Cell to supply constant power with minimum impact on the environment.

Other Technical Specifications:.

- Argonite fire suppression system, with fresh air supply and smoke extraction, utilising an environmentally friendly, non-toxic agent.

- Daikin free cooling chillers (Energy Technology List compliant) providing quiet, efficient, and effective environmental chilling.

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