Innovative Power Solutions for Government Clients: Part 1

Helping the federal government operate more efficiently may sound like a Herculean task, but it’s one the Power Strategy Experts at Server Technology are well prepared to take on. With years of experience working with the federal government, we proudly help the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, NASA, the Army, Navy, and others with their data center power needs.   

There are some unique needs and initiatives driving change in the Federal data center space. We’ll explore some of those in this, the first of a two-part series.  

Data Center Evolution: The Path to High Efficiency 

Charles Darwin is quoted as saying “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change”. Technology presents real changes in our lives and as it continues to advance, so must our actions and behaviors.  The ability to handle rising rack densities and scale while improving efficiencies in the data center is more critical than ever.  As a result, the Federal Government continues to improve and optimize its approach to continual evolution. Part of their improvements lies in the Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI), designed to improve efficiency, lower operation costs, and enhance overall optimization. Building off of the success of the 2010 Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), DCOI looks to continue consolidation efforts by requiring existing data centers to operate at a power usage effectiveness/PUE below 1.5 or face closure by September 30, 2018. For Nevada-based Server Technology, “These requirements will call for critical data center infrastructure improvements”, says Federal Sales Manager Jason Mollicone. As a result, Mollicone says, “This creates a lot of opportunities for us to address real customer challenges,” he says. “In order to reduce PUE and increase efficiency, monitoring and reporting of data must be implemented. Our solutions allow the customer to monitor, collect, and report on the data needed in order to be efficient and successful towards DCOI goals.” 

“Today, the federal government is putting more enforcement in place to optimize and improve facilities to ensure that funding and energy are being used effectively,” he says.  

Each initiative instituted by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) includes data center consolidation and server room optimization, which will help the government operate its data centers more efficiently and effectively. “We’re helping customers put real metrics in place to say, ‘OK, here’s what’s going on in our data center, and here is how we can make the necessary improvements to improve efficiency’” Mollicone says. “We want to put accurate data behind everything and take out the guesswork so the customer can be in the best position possible.” This data can be used to make decisions, such as determining which facilities are not efficient enough to remain operational. Other times, it means making adjustments and upgrading facilities to make them run more efficiently and save taxpayer dollars, Mollicone says.  

“It’s about creating a more efficient environment that helps lower costs, save energy, and optimize data center infrastructure,” Mollicone says. “Server Technology’s solutions are great because they allow the customer to do that at the rack level, which is a key component in operating and maintaining an efficient environment.”