Modular Data Centres Are Cheaper To Build

Service provider Colt is looking to lower the cost of constructing a data centre by utilising a new data centre deployment approach that can be tailored to the customers’ current needs for power density, size and Tier configurations, yet still offer flexible expansion options in the future.

Colt first revealed its plans for modular data centres last year, when it began offering pre-fabricated data centres that could be shipped to a customer within four months. But now the company believes it can exactly match the customer needs for specific space, power and location needs. It has created over 120 unique design options so that these data centres will be as flexible as possible.

Modular Approach

Building a conventional data centre is an expensive and time consuming process, as most data centres are over-provisioned when constructed, in order to cater for future growth.

But Colt has used today’s DataCentres Europe 2011 show to introduce its new Modular Data Centre form factors of 125m2, 250m2 and 375m2 data halls, which can also be used as combinations of each model. These new designs complement Colt’s existing 500m2 Modular Data Centre option.

The modular data centre units can be manufactured for external deployment without the need for a separate shell to form their own building structure. Colt says that it can install this at a customer site within four months of ordering.

“We released our modular data centre product last year,” said Bernard Geoghegan, Executive VP of Colt Data Centre Services. “Nowadays it is clear that modular data centres come in two forms, one is a shipping container, and the second is a sectional building, like ours.

“When we announced our modular data centres, we spent an awful lot of time trying to understanding our customers’ needs, and to add flexibility to our offerings with varying sizes, power densities but with the same delivery time frame, under four months,” said Geoghegan.

“Now it is now possible to place effectively different modular sizes against each other, so customers can have a low density option alongside a high density option. Essentially you have different tiers  in the same building,” said Geoghegan.

This new design therefore means that customers are not restricted to having all their technical space with the same power density or Tier configuration. The customer could, for example, have a 125m2, 3000W per square metre Modular Data Centre to support their Cloud, alongside a 375m2, 1500W per square metre hall for their conventional server and storage equipment.

“What we set out to do to was to create a product that would meet customer demand for leased services, or so they can buy it directly to put in their site,” said Geoghegan.

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