Reliable data center operations are essential to Telefónica's ability to serve its customers. Critical components, such as power distribution, cooling, and monitoring and control systems, form the backbone of Telefónica's data center infrastructure in Germany.
challenge
was to collect real-time environmental, electrical, and thermal data across a large number of data centers and backbone sites. Continuous monitoring down to the rack and outlet level was required to improve transparency, availability, and operational efficiency.
Vertiv
and the Telefónica Group have maintained a strong, multi-year collaboration in Spain and Latin America, deploying energy-efficient critical infrastructure solutions.
For this collaboration, Vertiv supplied Vertiv™ PowerIT switched rPDUs (rack power distribution units), designed to Telefónica's specifications. The intelligent units provided detailed, real-time monitoring while allowing for installation during live operations with no downtime.
Company profile:
Leading telecommunications provider.
Industry: Telecommunications.
Region: Germany.
Each rPDU was supplied as a kit consisting of a red and a blue unit, including sensors and mounting hardware, and equipped with customer-specific halogen-free power cables.
The comprehensive solution included:
• Vertiv™ PowerIT switched rPDU with integrated environmental sensors.
• Integration into existing monitoring and DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) systems
via SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and Modbus.
• Integrated RCM monitoring, including Type B for fault current detection in compliance with regulations.
• Individual configuration (e.g., socket types, phase distribution) to suit the rack architecture.
Scalable solution for highly dynamic load profiles and dense IT environments.
• Hot-swappable control modules to support maintenance activities without impacting
operations.
•
Results
: “Thanks to Vertiv rPDUs, Telefónica Germany benefits from complete, real-time visibility of its infrastructure.
The result: optimized operations, data-driven decisions, and the ability to pave the way for automated, AI-powered data center operations (AIOps).” The implementation modernized Telefónica’s data center operations in Germany, resulting in the following:
• Seamless integration into Telefónica Germany’s digital twin environment with
real-time, nationwide monitoring of power, capacity, and temperature down to the rack and outlet level.
• Increased availability and business continuity through continuous monitoring and
service-oriented control module replacement.
• Optimization of cooling and energy usage based on real-time environmental data.
Establishing a solid foundation for DCIM and a scalable database to support future AI applications.
