The data center industry in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East is undergoing a massive pace of development as demand for enterprise data storage continues to grow. This market buoyancy, however, has put pressure on data center managers to make facilities reliable, yet energy efficient, said a senior executive at Tripp Lite, a world-leading manufacturer of power protection, connectivity and infrastructure products. Vipin Sharma, TrippLite's Vice-President for Middle East and Africa (MEA), said data centers in the UAE and the wider Middle East region have entered a critical juncture as the IT sector expands and companies seek ways to reduce overheads, while at the same time improving business operations. “Industry reports indicate that NEW BUILDING AND EXPANSION OF data centers will significantly drive growth in the Middle East's facility & IT infrastructure market in 2014, with spending expected to reach nearly US$4 billion,” Sharma said. “However, as this market grows the need for containing energy costs becomes a critical factor in influencing the business's bottom line revenue. One direction the market is taking is to lower cooling requirements by increasing the temperature standard in data centers from 18ºc to 25ºc, another direction is to look for self contained in row cooling solutions that will supplement the building HVAC system by blowing cold air “into the row” of racks where the heat-sensitive data center equipment is mounted.” Tripp Lite has recently launched in the region its SmartRack Cooler Series, a portfolio comprising of a self-contained portable air conditioning unit (SRXCOOL12K) and an energy-saving, row-based air conditioning unit (SRXCOOL33K). Sharma said, compared with legacy units, the TrippLite SmartRack Cooler Series are easy to install, require zero maintenance and CONSUME less power, thus lowering operational costs for data center management firms. “These products feature innovative technology that promotes energy conservation. The SRXCOOL33K, for instance, boasts 33,000 British thermal units (BTU) or 9.7 kilowatt of cooling power and features a variable-speed, DC-inverter-driven compressor and microprocessor-controlled electronic expansion valve (EEV) that enable precision cooling adjustments, preventing energy waste and lowering noisy cycling between off and full blast by as much as 25%,” he said. Meanwhile, the SRXCOOL12K pack 12,000 BTU of cooling capacity, powerful enough to cool a 500-square-foot room, yet small enough to fit anywhere, offering hotspot and general room cooling for data centers — SG
