With the increasing data centre landscape and rapid technological development, it is crucial for organisations to onboard partners that can help navigate such changes efficiently. Shady Youssef, Managing Director MEA, Africa & APAC at Leviton provides insights into how Leviton is making massive strides in the world of smart buildings and data centres, how emerging technology connects smart buildings and how specialists can prepare for the future.
Where is Leviton today in terms of data centres and smart buildings?
Since its existence, Leviton has been forward-looking, recognising customer needs more than just high-end products. As the market is growing fast, data centres and smart buildings share several common aspects. Both are bandwidth and power-hungry and require a solid vendor with manufacturing capacity, innovation and technology advancement capabilities.
Leviton services clients all over the globe, backed up by more than 15 fully owned and certified and sustainable manufacturing facilities, an R&D team of experts in multiple disciplines, logistics and supply chain infrastructure. Companies like Leviton and only a few others will thrive in this volatile market. Without this capacity, solutions will struggle to reach the data centre or a smart building.
With the increasing data centres landscape, what does Leviton offer in terms of solutions for this application?
Leviton is perceived as a Tier 1 passive infrastructure and connectivity vendor in the Middle East region. The truth is, we go beyond, which has been in the heart of Leviton since its foundation in 1906. With our lighting control, energy metering and management solution coupled with a strong LED lighting portfolio, we come across with a rich portfolio to favour data centre facilities.
While connectivity is the nerve of any data centre, we mainly talk or look at Power/Kwh/MwH. With the increased energy cost, these solutions are becoming necessary to drive energy bills down. Our solutions are applicable, whether for a co-location/hyper-scale data centre facility or an edge/micro data centre. Today, we have a more considerable responsibility to continue to engage with our clients beyond our passive infrastructure to offer the entire portfolio.
How is emerging technology playing a role in connecting smart & healthy buildings?
Traditionally, we used to spend enough time in our workplace and now we see people returning after the pandemic to normalcy but with a different mindset. It is the era where building owners are continuing to make changes to workspaces to incorporate the health and well-being of the employees and an on-going long-term strategy to improve efficiency and safety. A 2021 survey of 400 US and Canadian companies found nearly 60% are planning to invest more in smart and healthy buildings. The four-pair cable we historically used to cater for our Internet connectivity is now required to perform additional responsibilities from connecting the HVAC, Intelligent Lighting or Disinfectant Technology, Wi-Fi, digital signage, Energy Management and more. It is imperative with this changing landscape to have the right technology partner/vendor.
What is your advice for specialists to prepare their networks for the future?
For this to happen, it requires a consortium of specialists from consultants/designers to system integrators and technology vendors to put the appropriate solution to address customer needs and expectations.
Infrastructure planning for smart buildings is vital and requires a complete understanding of various ethernet-based technologies, including POE and IoT, all the way to the application level. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that will work for every system. Network designers, electrical engineers, cabling installers, IT managers, facility managers and end-users must weigh the pros and cons of these options. Leviton has many solutions designed to support digital buildings.
With data centres and smart buildings come sustainability. Can you tell us more about Leviton’s policy in terms of sustainability?
Our policy covers a range of areas. We are the UK’s first carbon-neutral factory for more than a decade now in accordance with PAS2060. We have a new chief sustainability officer aiming to drive further carbon neutral and green initiatives. Our converted facilities incorporate LED lighting and energy-saving sensors.
The sustainability policy also focuses on reducing packaging waste and we have introduced new green packs/bulk packs on most of the products. This means eliminating more than 2 million single-use bags on job sites. With our Energy Saving and LED Lighting Solutions, we are a Green and Sustainability advocate.
In the end, sustainability is a collective effort. Customers also contribute to this journey by selecting the right vendor. Therefore, it is vital to audit their sustainability policies. We encourage customers and governments to make the right choices. Leviton is undoubtedly the right choice for customers looking for world-class solutions and sustainability.
