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Whether consumers know it or not, efficient data centers are the cornerstone of both Web and cloud-based offerings. Panduit, which specializes in unified physical infrastructure, is working to pioneer what it calls “intelligent data centers” that offer improved performance and reduced cost.

“A silo-based approach to designing, deploying and managing these infrastructures is becoming increasingly inadequate, as data center consolidation, virtualization technologies, and automation initiatives continue to grow more pervasive,” noted Panduit in a paper about intelligent data centers.

“Because data centers will continue to face stringent demands, and due to the complexities of these demands on physical infrastructures, next generation architecture must address both physical and logical layers to effectively drive business advantages and overall success,” the company highlighted in the piece.

Intelligent data centers take a unified approach that address both physical and logical layers when putting together the hardware. This includes communications, computing, control, power and security, according to the source.

The benefits of such an approach are many, including leveraging real-time information to enhance visibility, security, safety and compliance across the enterprise; reducing infrastructure and systems complexity; creating added flexibility and improving productivity and customer satisfaction by delivering higher levels of availability and reliability.

Other benefits include converging and optimizing critical systems, drive tangible infrastructure efficiency and business process improvements, and creating a sustainable infrastructure for securing energy efficiencies and establishing global best practices, according to the paper.

“Panduit draws upon a deep expertise in providing world-class data center solutions and designs based on industry best practices, offering a combination of services, software, and products that result in optimized physical infrastructures,” noted the Panduit website. “This enables organizations to be more responsive, improve their operational efficiency, and increase their strategic relevance to the business.”

Helping to create intelligent data centers, Panduit provides end-to-end unified physical infrastructure solutions.

This includes data center advisory services, software and intelligent hardware appliances, integrated and energy-efficient data center cabinets, high speed data transport copper and fiber cabling systems, and a physical infrastructure foundation that includes critical systems such as zone cabling, routing, grounding, labeling and more.

Part of getting the intelligent data center right is building a strong industry ecosystem that helps unify desperate technologies, too, noted TMCnet’s Erik Linask when he first looked at the idea of intelligent data centers several years ago.

“Panduit is working with its industry ecosystem to drive its UPI vision, supporting it with its own portfolio of integrated physical infrastructure solutions, including connectivity, thermal management, cable management, and converged infrastructure management software,” he noted. “Combined, the results of collaboration between Panduit and its partners allow the data center to function as a single, fully integrated system, increasing uptime, optimizing energy usage, and maximizing real estate.”

It adds up to better, more efficient data centers.