Massively Modular Data Center Approach Helps Cyrus One Succeed

Cyrus One has a strong story to tell about what the company calls its “massively modular” approach to data centers.

“It hinges on how we engineer and design and manage the supply chain – and on the master plan that we put in place for every facility we have,” said Michael Duckett, chief operating officer for Cyrus One, the data center operator that Cincinnati Bell (News - Alert) hopes to monetize through a spin-off later this year.

The term “massively modular” might sound a lot like the containerized approach to data centers – and both approaches aim to enable data center capacity to be added as needed over time rather than constructed far in advance. But according to Duckett, that’s about where the resemblance ends.

“Everything we’ve looked at about the container approach seems contrary to where customers can get the best value,” said Duckett.

Containerized data centers typically hold about 15 cabinets and as Duckett explained, that’s not enough for the Fortune 1000 customers that are a key customer segment for Cyrus One. Even medium-size businesses can quickly outgrow that amount of space, he said.

What Cyrus One does instead is to acquire data center space with as much as 700,000 total square feet and then build it out on a room-by-room basis, with new rooms added about every 16 weeks.

“When you build on a large scale, all of the customers within [that center] benefit from that scale,” said Duckett. “A customer that might not be high-density still gets the value that a high-density company gets.”

With Cyrus One’s approach data center elements with long lead times, such as pads for generators, are installed far in advance;  elements with shorter lead times, such as uninterruptible power supply systems, are ordered just a few weeks before the additional capacity is scheduled to be turned up. HVAC and power is added to new rooms, or modules, as needed, thereby enabling Cyrus One to avoid the associated operational costs until customers move into the module.

Duckett said some other data center operators are taking a similar approach, but he believes Cyrus One has fine-tuned the process more than others have.

“We’re designing down to the rack and cage level,” said Duckett. “Our master plan goes down to ‘Here’s how you lay out the cabinets’ . . . even down to the point of using custom racks and cabinets that fit how we design the building and to maximize the airflow for cooling.”

Rather than telling customers “Here’s a big room,” Ducket said, “we’ll guide you how you can most effectively use what we’ve designed.”

Duckett also noted that at the time of initial data center construction, Cyrus One establishes lead times for any upgrades that the local power company might need to make to support the data center’s power requirements as those requirements increase over time.

And while some data center operators outsource functions such as site selection, Duckett said Cyrus One uses its own personnel to handle those tasks. That approach helps the company stay ahead of what the industry is doing, said Duckett.

Staying ahead of the curve, Duckett said, is “at the forefront of what we focus on from day to day.”