Responsible for some of APC’s most recent datacentre implementations in the UK, such as Renault F1, Garmin and Royal Caribbean, Comtec Power is fast emerging as a leading provider of datacentres and is proof that a strong partnership with APC helps to create a thriving business.

In the last 12 months, Comtec Power has racked up an array of achievements, including APC’s Gold Partner accreditation; has been named Deloitte’s fastest growing technology company in the South East; and recently launched its piece-de-resistance… an industry-leading data facility built using APC’s InfraStruXure^® architecture for on-demand datacentres, complete with a fully-operational hydrogen fuel cell.

For Nick Ewing, senior power consultant at Comtec Power, and the driving force behind this transformation, the facility is an opportunity for customers to ‘try before they buy’.  “In addition to understanding how to balance the fundamental needs of business continuity with efficiency and scalability, it’s important for customers to be able to see APC InfraStruXure^® and experience how this seamless approach to the physical layer delivers real world benefits,” says Ewing.

“Increasingly the datacentre is the foundation of all ICT strategy.  It’s therefore vital for enterprise decision makers to make the right choices about physical infrastructure from the outset.  APC’s Demo Programme made it effective for Comtec to meet this need by deploying an in-house environment in which our customers can touch and interact with a live datacentre. This makes a huge difference to their understanding of APC’s technology as well as its critical role in the provision of scalable and available ICT networks.”

Designed according to Comtec Power’s ‘eco-structure’ philosophy, which combines specialist ICT knowledge with a detailed understanding of the physical requirements of the datacentre environment, the facility also features APC’s hydrogen fuel cell, which Ewing believes embodies the future of business continuity:

“Integrating a fuel cell into the datacentre is the futurology element of our facility, but in reality, it won’t be too long before we start hearing of more fuel cell implementations in the UK.  The road map shows that the power-to-cost ratio of fuel cells is scaling upwards, making the technology more compelling for businesses.

“Moreover, enterprises are becoming far more aware of their carbon footprint and the IT department, in particular, is under increasing pressure to help reduce the energy bill.  We’re here to advise and support our customers about how higher efficiencies can be achieved by, for example, rightsizing and optimising cooling strategy.  At the same time having a live demonstration of a fuel cell really helps our customers to visualise the potential operating cost savings for their datacentre.”

Ewing adds, “As Comtec grows its business with APC we aim to offer additional services to supports business development and continuity.  For Comtec, making sure we have the right platform for our own growth and to enable these services is pivotal to success.  Having APC as the foundation of our own business demonstrates our confidence in the technology.  For our customers, this is proof that we really do practice what we preach!”

Comtec Power and APC will be hosting a series of Technology Days throughout 2007 focusing on how to deliver greater value and efficiency from your datacentre, and its role in business today.  Delegates will also have the opportunity to tour Comtec’s datacentre and see the hydrogen fuel cell in action.

For more information, or to register for a forthcoming technology seminar, please visit www.comtec.com.