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Why Prefabricated Solutions are a Perfect Fit for Edge Data Centres

Prefabricated modular architecture or prefab modular construction offers the perfect solution since parts are manufactured in a controlled environment rather than an open construction site. In addition, this mode of architecture is highly efficient, and it offers a swiftly installed solution, which helps to save time in various sectors including technology solutions, UPS power supplies, and communications.

Prefab modular construction integrates over 95% of the necessary parts, thus offering fast and accurate installation, and nearly 40% savings in construction time compared to traditional built-up wall systems. Considering that all components are pre-designed and built in a controlled setting, they largely contribute to the long-term construction solution.

With companies rushing to move more of their applications and resources to the cloud, there has been an increased need for edge data centres. Edge data centres play two crucial roles: offering localised processing for applications that are kept on-premises, and connection to cloud-based applications and resources.

Edge data centres have become so crucial to operations that organisations can’t risk any downtime as this would lead to not only the loss of localised processing but also connectivity to the expanded network and cloud-based resources outside the edge data centre walls.

What most companies are concerned about is how to build an edge data centre that offers the level of reliability that they require, but without the same amount of time, effort, and expenses incurred constructing a conventional data centre. This is where prefabricated, modular data centre components come in.

When the term “prefabricated modular data centre,” is brought up, what often comes to most people’s minds is large ISO containers. And while a large ISO container is an option, there are many different types of modular data centres. It can be a single rack, a self-contained enclosure that can be installed in a closet, or a modular room constructed from prefab walls used to create space for a data centre within a bigger room.

Regardless of the size, prefabricated data centre modules have several things in common:

– They can match the durability and security of a conventional data centre
– Flexibility, in that they are designed to fit in any environment
– Scalability, they can be expanded as demand increases
– Repeatability, they offer users the ability to set up similar implementations in multiple locations. This provides superior predictability in terms of reliability, efficiency and operation. In addition, it is easy to employ implementation and training standards.

Companies and institutions are implementing different kinds of prefab modular edge data centres. For instance, hospitals connect to cloud applications that record data from equipment such as dispensing devices and infusion pumps to make sure that patients aren’t administered drugs that can have adversely react with each other.

Besides, hospitals require heavy local processing, which includes systems to gather, share and store patient records locally to stay in compliance with privacy rules. Likewise, local processing is beneficial for applications such as MRI scans since they create such large files.

In this kind of environment, the on-premise edge data centre is just as crucial as cloud-based resources that it connects to. A highly adaptable and functional edge data centre can offer the same level of local processing performance that a strictly cloud-based data centre would offer. Prefabricated edge data centre modules can offer all of this, and still be built to fit in any available space within the hospital – even outdoors.

A prefab modular data centre is an ideal option is such kinds of applications when compared to constructing a conventional data centre. As the parts are manufactured in a controlled setting, the prefab data centres have superior quality than a “stick-built” data centre built on-site, which can have numerous variances during construction. Additionally, the installation project can be completed much more quickly, 12 to 16 weeks on average, which is 20-30% of the total time it takes to build a data centre from scratch.