2016 Data Center 100: 20 Infrastructure Providers

Infrastructure: The Hardware And Software On Which Services Are Built

The right data center infrastructure allows data center operators and their customers to run applications with maximum performance and efficiency. It includes the hardware and software on which data centers are built, including storage, servers, networking gear, power supplies, cooling devices, backup power, fire suppression, physical security and other devices.

Solution providers need access to a wide range of data center infrastructure technologies to provide services regardless of whether they target a single client’s operations or multitenant infrastructures.

Here’s a look at the data center infrastructure companies on this year's Data Center 100 list.

Amax Information Technology

Jean Shih, President

Headquarters: Fremont, Calif.

Amax is a custom-system builder specializing in servers and high-performance computing. The company offers server-to-rack integration, converged infrastructure, and big data solutions featuring OpenStack, Open Compute and Microsoft Open Cloud Server.

Anord Critical Power

Robert Sweaney, VP, Operations, GM

Headquarters: Sandston, Va.

Anord, developer of the Form 4b Type 7 AMS switchgear, a fully compartmentalized and robust switchgear solution used for protection and fault resilience in mission-critical applications, said its North American business grew 75 percent in 2015.

APC by Schneider Electric

Laurent Vernerey, President, CEO , North America Operations

Headquarters: West Kingston, R.I.

Data center power infrastructure and DCIM software provider APC recently launched its new micro data center solution portfolio, which combines enclosure, UPS, power distribution, DCIM management software, environmental monitoring, cooling and security in a pretested, pre-assembled solution.

Asetek

Andre Eriksen, Founder, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

Asetek, which develops liquid cooling systems for data centers, servers, workstations, gaming and high-performance PCs as well as cooling solutions for GPUs, in 2015 joined the OpenPower Foundation to bring its technology to the IBM Power processor community.

Bold Data Technology

Eugene Kiang, President, CEO

Headquarters: Fremont, Calif.

Bold Data Technology is a $300 million developer of custom-built rack and blade server, storage and workstation solutions. The company’s latest JBOD solution targets OpenCloud, OpenStack and high-density storage requirements with up to 480 TB of capacity in a 4U enclosure.

Brocade Communications Systems

Lloyd Carney, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

IP and storage networking developer Brocade in 2015 expanded its traditional storage networking technology with an open, software-enabled solution to help mobile operators implement agile infrastructures that can support the explosive data growth and capacity demands of 4G/LTE and future 5G mobile networks.

Cisco Systems

Chuck Robbins, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

Cisco continues to make itself an ever-more integral part of the data center with its IP and storage networking solutions and UCS servers, and in 2015 used its software prowess to expand its software-defined networking and cloud-scaling networking solutions.

Dell

Michael Dell, Chairman, CEO

Headquarters: Round Rock, Texas

Dell in 2015 surprised the IT world with its decision to acquire EMC in a move to combine the industry’s leading storage business with its strong server and PC business and in the process shake up the data infrastructure business for years to come.

Eaton

Alexander Cutler, Chairman, CEO

Headquarters: Cleveland

Eaton is a worldwide developer of power, hydraulic, aerospace and vehicle systems. For the data center market, the company provides electrical products; systems and services for power quality, distribution and control; power transmission; and lighting and wiring.

EMC

Joe Tucci, Chairman, CEO

Headquarters: Hopkinton, Mass.

EMC, as the IT industry’s largest storage and virtualization technology vendor, is a key part of the data infrastructure industry. What occurs to its data center position after its pending acquisition by Dell will play out this year.

Emerson Network Power

Scott Barbour, Business Leader

Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio

Emerson Network Power, the developer of Avocent- and Liebert-branded power management hardware and software, used 2015 to introduce new equipment for synchronized and parallel electrical load sharing, a new high-performance KVM solution, and upgraded thermal solutions and services.

Equus Computer Systems

Andy Juang, President, CEO

Headquarters: Minnetonka, Minn.

Equus is a custom builder of server, storage and client computing solutions. The company gets into data centers throughout North America exclusively via a large base of solution providers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Meg Whitman, President, CEO

Headquarters: Palo Alto, Calif.

HPE is the enterprise half of the former Hewlett-Packard before the company split in two, and brings to enterprise data center infrastructures some of the industry’s richest lines of storage, server, cloud, security, big data, and mobility solutions and services.

Legrand/Raritan

John Selldorff, President, CEO, Legrand North America

Headquarters: West Hartford, Conn.

Legrand provides cooling, cabling, power and physical security solutions for data centers. The company in 2015 expanded its data center reach with its acquisition of intelligent PDU and KVM developer Raritan, and moved to work with Google Nest and other Internet of Things providers.

LiquidCool Solutions

Herb Zien, CEO

Headquarters: Rochester, Minn.

LiquidCool Solutions develops technology for cooling electronics of any size and shape by total immersion in a dielectric fluid. LCS offers cooling solutions targeting energy and space and water savings, enhanced reliability and silent operation.

Mestex

Mike Kaler, President

Headquarters: Dallas

Mestex specializes in the design and delivery of HVAC units, including packaged systems and evaporative cooling systems for data centers and specialized heating and cooling systems for computer rooms.

Nor-Tech (Northern Computer Systems)

David Bollig, President, CEO

Headquarters: Burnsville, Minn.

Nor-Tech manufactures workstations, servers, high-performance clusters and storage for computation and visualization. The second-largest custom-system builder in the U.S., Nor-Tech specializes in high-performance computing with a focus on high-availability and visualization clusters based on a number of open-source solutions.

ProLabs

Stewart Holness, Chairman

Headquarters: South Cerney, Gloucestershire U.K.

ProLabs specializes in the development and manufacture of a wide range of networking and connectivity solutions for data center infrastructures including optical transceivers, media converters, direct attach cables, fibre cables and multiplexers.

Tate Airflow

Donal Curtin, President

Headquarters: Jessup, Md.

Tate Airflow develops data center airflow management products and services, including solutions under the SmartAire line of automatic variable-air-volume dampers, ContainAire aisle containment solutions, and IsoFlo raised floor cabinets for data centers.

Tripp Lite

Glen Haeflinger, President

Chicago

Tripp Lite develops rack enclosures, networked and managed power distribution units, cooling solutions, network switches, and data center cables and connectivity products, and in 2015 expanded its capabilities with a new medical-grade power strip and rack-mounted air conditioning units.