In this interview Kevin Brown, SVP of Innovation and CTO of the IT Division at Schneider Electric, discusses the reliability of data center sites at the edge of the network.

In branch offices around the word, server rooms and wiring closets are currently being transformed into small data centers. However, such locations are unlikely to have redundant network connections or spare power equipment you will find in a typical Tier III facility.

According to research conducted by Schneider, edge sites might actually require more resiliency than core data centers, not less, because they would represent ‘the weakest link in the chain’.

This could create new markets for miniature, fully redundant data centers, as well as power and cooling equipment that only has to support a couple of racks.

The conversation took place at the DCD Zettastructure show in London in November 2016.