Croatian Telecom (aka Hrvatski Telekom) has upgraded its data center monitoring system at its Zagreb facility.

The Deutsche Telekom-owned telco this week announced that, alongside Siemens, it had successfully completed the White Space Cooling Optimization (WSCO) project.

“Thanks to intelligent sensor placement and AI-based cooling management, HT’s data center in Zagreb now operates more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly manner,” the company said.

Hrvatski Telekom said that thermistors measure temperature changes on the server and network cabinets. That data is then fed into a monitoring system, and the WSCO then uses artificial intelligence to automatically regulate fan airflow and identify problems.

Ivan Visković, director of the core network and services sector at Hrvatski Telekom, said: "Thanks to the WSCO solution and dynamic AI cooling, we have achieved significantly more efficient cooling of IT and network equipment in our largest data center. The implementation resulted in better temperature regulation in the room system, the elimination of so-called hot pockets, a reduction in operating hours of cooling units, and ultimately a reduction in maintenance costs."

The company said the continuous operation of the system and the application of machine learning enable the removal of up to 99 percent of hot air pockets that may occur in the data center. The solution improves preventive maintenance by identifying faulty components.

Martin Lang, director of the smart infrastructure buildings business unit at Siemens Austria, added: "From now on, Hrvatski Telekom will use an AI solution with the possibility of machine learning that dynamically manages the cooling process in the data center. Savings in the six-figure amount in euros in electricity consumption are expected, which the company will achieve thanks to the WSCO solution, and the avoidance of potential failures caused by excessive temperature."

Hrvatski was founded in December 1998 after the separation of the Croatian Post and Telecommunications into two entities: Croatian Post and Hrvatski Telekom (aka Croatian Telecom). Deutsche Telekom acquired a majority stake in Hrvatski in 2001.

Launched in 2014, the data center is located in the Selska area of the Croatian capital. It totaled 450 sqm of space in the first phase, with a second phase due to add another 450 sqm.

In 2022, the company said it operates five facilities across the country.