Network closets, often referred to as IDF closets or telecommunications closets, are small yet vital spaces that house important networking equipment, acting as the hubs that connect various parts of an organization's IT infrastructure. Despite their significance, network closets are often overlooked and undermanaged. Poorly managed network closets can result in network downtime, reduced efficiency, and increased maintenance costs.

Leveraging data to enable more informed data center power management is critical for maintaining uptime, increasing energy efficiency, increasing power capacity utilization, and reducing costs. Understanding which power metrics to monitor is the first step towards smarter data center operations.

Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world today and list a few tips to explore these trends. This week, we’ll discuss how we can make data centers more energy efficient. Who knew that AI could cut energy costs? AI is everywhere, and rightfully so—with applications ranging from everyday life to IT, AI has embedded itself into our culture. Now, it can be an integral part of our data centers, too!

Colocation data centers let you host your IT infrastructure in a managed, secure, offsite environment — an important consideration for organizations that want to ensure high availability, data security, and resiliency. This guide explains what colocation data centers are, the key features and benefits of colocation, and their role in modern IT infrastructure management (especially in the cloud era).

Edge computing vs cloud computing: what's best for your business? Finding the best approach for your business can take some trial and error, as well as some time researching how each technology and digital infrastructure choice can support your business goals. When choosing between cloud and edge computing, you will need to know what they are, what the differences between the two are, and how each can strengthen your business's operations in its own way.

Firmware is the permanent software programmed into a device’s read-only memory. It provides the low-level control for the device’s specific hardware. In a data center, firmware is embedded in various components such as servers, storage devices, and networking equipment. Firmware management involves the processes and tools necessary to update, maintain, and monitor these firmware systems.

Data centers today are dynamic ecosystems with heterogeneous infrastructures. They encompass a wide array of equipment including servers, storage systems, networking devices, power distribution units, and environmental controls. These assets often originate from multiple vendors and support various communication protocols. Traditional manual asset management methods are ill-equipped to handle this complexity, leading to inefficiencies, inaccuracies, and increased operational costs.

As the demand for digital services grows exponentially, so does the need for colocation data center space. However, colocation providers are unable to keep up with this rapidly growing need resulting in limited space available for rent and skyrocketing prices. According to CBRE, colocation rates have jumped from 14.5% in 2022 to 18.6% in 2023 to a record $163.44 per kW/month due to the restricted supply of colo space.

Data centers are essential. Not only do they handle the network traffic from your organization to your end-users, but data centers also enable seamless communication and collaboration with various business stakeholders. This makes data center monitoring all the more imperative.