Eaton’s latest iCube 2.0 and 9PX UPS product enhancements aim to deliver edge-deployable, energy-efficient solutions to organisations looking to future-proof their data centre infrastructure.
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SINGAPORE, June 14, 2021 — Global power management company Eaton recently announced two new additions to its micro data centre (MDC) and 9PX uninterruptible power supply (UPS) series – the iCube 2.0 and the 9PX lithium-ion UPS. Tailored to address the unique needs and pain points of Asian organisations looking to future-proof their data centre infrastructure, these new regional solutions enable businesses to achieve information and operational technology excellence, while positioning their enterprise for success in the ongoing energy transition.
"Amidst the global shift towards renewables, pandemic-accelerated digitalisation has led to the rise of edge computing. Continued technological advancements are transforming the way data is processed, managed and delivered. Against this backdrop, MDC and UPS solutions are playing an increasingly bigger role in bridging the gap in edge computing and ensuring critical applications keep running with minimal environmental impact," said Jimmy Yam, Vice President, Electrical Sector, East Asia, Eaton. "With prolonged remote working arrangements and expected growth in digitalisation, the need for fast and sustainable computing capacity will only increase. The introduction of iCube 2.0 and 9PX Lithium-ion UPS will help address this demand while still ensuring energy efficiency."
iCube 2.0 – an enhanced micro data centre solution for energy-efficient excellence at the edge
Eaton iCube 2.0 (Micro Data Center 2.0)
An upgrade of Eaton’s pre-existing MDC 1.0 solution, iCube 2.0 is designed to address key challenges and common user pain points in edge deployments, such as space constraints and the lack of technical expertise in designing and deploying solutions from scratch.
Unlike the first-generation MDC 1.0 solution, iCube 2.0 can be customised to a variety of rack sizes. IT managers can choose from iCube 2.0’s line-up of cabinet dimensions. This ranges from basic racks outfitted with mission-critical equipment that are designed for small offices, to prefabricated multi-rack solutions for mid-sized to large offices. This flexibility enables organisations to optimise their unit room space utilisation and scale their deployments according to evolving operational needs. It also translates into lower deployment and maintenance costs, ultimately delivering greater cost-effectiveness to organisations with its reduced total cost of ownership (TCO).
As an integrated and prefabricated plug-and-play solution, iCube 2.0 also offers IT managers ease of deployment. It requires minimal maintenance and manpower requirements with its built-in intelligent management software system, which provides comprehensive monitoring of environmental parameters as well as automated alerts and predictive analytics for optimal performance. At the same time, iCube 2.0’s class 8 seismic rating and best-in-class certifications[1] enable it to be safely deployed in unfavourable environments that may be dusty, hot, humid and even earthquake-prone.
9PX lithium-ion UPS – a greener and smarter way to safeguard the power supply of critical infrastructure
9PX Lithium 1-3K with 1 EBM rack mounted
The latest addition to Eaton’s enterprise-class 9PX UPS series is a greener, more efficient lithium-ion (Li-ion) refresh of its current VRLA-powered offerings. Benchmarked as best in the market, this product upgrade continues Eaton’s proven track record in Li-ion UPS deployments, particularly in the Southeast Asia region.
With technology advancements driving down production and deployment costs, Li-ion powered UPS solutions have been growing in popularity in recent years due to its smaller footprint, shorter charging cycle, longer lifespan and TCO savings[2].
Outfitted with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries – one of the safest and longest lasting Li-ion solutions currently available in the market, Eaton’s 9PX Li-ion UPS is Energy Star-certified and delivers industry-leading energy efficiency of up to 94% in online mode. Aside from lower CO2 emissions, the UPS solution provides greater floor space utilisation with a smaller physical footprint and overall weight reduction[3]. It is also equipped with intelligent battery management system (BMS) software as well as critical cybersecurity features[4], which provide organisations with the increasingly important ability to optimise energy and capacity management, and protect against hackers.
In addition, the 9PX Li-ion UPS comes equipped with Eaton’s Intelligent Power Manager which allows for deep integration with VMware and HyperV virtual environments, improves infrastructure resiliency against adverse power and environmental events through disaster recovery automation, and enables advanced load shedding capabilities to power critical operational loads longer.
Together with its reduced energy and cooling costs as well as its service life of eight to ten years, Eaton’s 9PX Li-ion UPS delivers overall, long-term TCO savings as it does not require replacement external battery modules, or the additional labour and shipping costs associated. This is particularly true for organisations which face challenges in servicing due to remote locations or large deployments, frequent power outages, or run critical applications that demand zero downtime.
"Constant power is required to keep applications or servers running 24/7, especially in the era of edge computing; but this can be detrimental to the environment in the long run," Yam added. "Balancing business growth and agility in the data-driven economy against sustainability goals is a challenge which organisations will increasingly face. But with the right technology, partners and strategy, businesses will be able to navigate these complex yet complimentary priorities – and ultimately come out ahead."
More information on iCube 2.0 and 9PX Li-ion UPS are available on their respective webpages. Businesses looking for innovative solutions to future-proof their data centre infrastructure may also sign up for upcoming webinars and access on-demand videos at Eaton’s Transform Your Data Center resource hub.
About Eaton Electrical Sector
Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with deep regional application expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; power quality, backup power and energy storage; control and automation; life safety and security; structural solutions; and harsh and hazardous environment solutions. Through end-to-end services, channel and an integrated digital platform and insights Eaton is powering what matters across industries and around the world, helping customers solve their most critical electrical power management challenges.
Eaton’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. We provide sustainable solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently, and more reliably. Eaton’s 2020 revenues were $17.9 billion, and we sell products to customers in more than 175 countries. We have approximately 94,000 employees. For more information, visit Eaton.com.
[1] iCube 2.0 is tested to support equipment loads up to 1,800 kg and meets a range of internationally and regionally recognised industry standards, namely the TLC, UL, and CE certifications for MDC, UPS and precision cooling technologies.
[2] Compared to traditional VLRA technologies, Li-ion batteries have 3 times smaller footprint and 3 times longer lifespan, and are 70% smaller in weight and 4 times fast-charging. Overall, they typically do not require replacements, unlike VLRA batteries, and are able to offer up to 50% in TCO savings.
[3] 20% reduction in UPS weight and more than 40% reduction in external battery module (EBM) weight. The EMB size is also reduced to 1U, while the UPS meets the industry standard 2U size.
[4] Key cybersecurity and virtualisation features include the Network-M2 gigabit network card – Eaton’s UPS connectivity device that helps secure UPS in data centre environments, and dual international UL 2900-1 and IEC 62443-4-2 cybersecurity certifications.