Eaton launches unique software platform that helps data centers accelerate their digital transformation

Eaton launches unique software platform that helps data centers accelerate their digital transformation

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, virtualization and electrification, data center operators face an increasing challenge to effectively manage technology equipment and operate as sustainably and energy efficiently as possible. Power management company Eaton today launched a new portfolio of digital solutions that help administrators increase uptime, optimize performance and strengthen sustainability. The platform is part of Eaton's Brightlayer Data Centers suite, the first solution on the market that brings together asset management, monitoring of both IT and OT (operational technology) equipment, power quality metrics and advanced electrical monitoring in a single application.

"Point solutions today do not provide data center administrators with sufficient visibility into their increasingly complex ecosystem of IT and OT resources," said Mike Jackson, global director of product, data center and distributed IT software at Eaton. "Especially as management expands from just a data center to a comprehensive, multi-tenant environment across multiple locations. The new solutions in our Brightlayer Data Centers suite use a single, proprietary application to manage, monitor and control a wide range of infrastructure assets. These solutions also integrate seamlessly with other software and make it very easy to expand software capabilities as an administrator's needs grow."

Data center administrators have more opportunities to meet internal and external desire to reduce their carbon footprint and operate more sustainably thanks to the use of data. Research by S&P Global Market Intelligence commissioned by Eaton found that 40% of data center managers want to use digitization to reduce their overall energy costs, over a third see opportunities to reduce waste of heat or materials. In addition, 46% of managers use or plan to use digital technology to track their sustainability performance.

Eaton's Brightlayer Data Centers suite provides a single application to manage, monitor and control key site power management equipment. This equipment includes UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) and PDU (power distribution units) equipment, switchgear, generators, cooling systems, battery energy storage and solar power systems. The platform offers three solutions that can be deployed separately or together, depending on customer needs.

• Data Center Performance Management software: monitors equipment and resources, shows trends, alerts and delivers reports, and manages the resources that provide power, space, connectivity and cooling to maximize IT application uptime and minimize costs.
• Electrical Power Monitoring System software: provides real-time and historical visibility into a data center's power supply system to quickly troubleshoot unexpected problems and identify their root cause, as well as gain insight into water, air, gas, electricity and steam usage to reduce operating costs and meet sustainability goals.
• Distributed IT Performance Management software: manages and monitors network equipment such as PDU and UPS systems, regardless of vendor or location, and proactively chooses and automates appropriate actions to prevent IT equipment outages. Built-in cyber security allows users to remotely perform firmware upgrades and configuration changes to protect critical data from cyber threats.

After initial deployment, customers can add functionality as needed. They do not need to migrate data or integrate different software platforms. The application can also be combined with third-party software, such as building management systems, configuration management databases or IT service management applications, to further improve efficiency, productivity, data accuracy, decision making and cost control.

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For more information about Brightlayer and Eaton's commitment to digital transformation, visit here.