Server room with a green tech view

Expanding on its modular data center offerings, IBM has introduced what it is calling a new “green server room.”

The first of these self-contained architectures, which includes both IT infrastructure and a complete cooling unit, are being deployed in India, but an IBM executive says more configurations are likely to fit the needs of emerging markets that need to get extremely energy-efficient data centers in place quickly.

Michael Hogan, global offering manager for site and facilities services with IBM Global Technology Services, says it is possible to get one of these units – officially known as Scalable Modular Server Rooms (SMSRs)– up and running in 7 to 10 business days. IBM has designed several basic configurations to achieve this end.

These configurations include materials and technologies specific to the markets in which they are being sold. So, for example, SMSRs being sold in India used UPS and cooling units, as well as ceiling and wall materials that are specific to that country. And, of course, server racks from IBM. The rooms range from about 150 to 300 square feet in size, but Hogan says they’re made to be expanded. (You can knock down a couple walls and add another unit as your company grows.)

One of IBM’s first customer wins with the new offering is Karad Urban Co-operative Bank, a 90-year-old bank that serves rural and semi-rural customers in Western Maharashtra. The bank has 48 branches. By deploying the SMSR, IBM says Karad will save nearly 75 percent on the resources that would normally go into setting up data centers.