Full-solution providers are those that offer a complete range of data center infrastructure equipment; examples of these companies include APC by Schneider, Eaton, HP, and Tripp Lite. They accounted for more than 50 percent of the total market in 2011.
The rest of the market is comprised of two main types of specialized rack PDU companies. The first are companies whose core business is smart rack PDU products. The second group can be described as regional companies that focus on non-smart products in their home country.
According to IMS Research analyst Andrés Gallardo: “Revenue growth for rack PDUs is primarily driven by the growth of smart units. Smart units are very attractive to suppliers because, unlike more mature, non-smart products, they have high profit margins. Because of this, we have seen many companies enter the market recently, such as Enlogic and Racktivity. All of these new companies are based in Europe, and I don't think that's a coincidence. Not only is Europe a more fragmented market, but we believe that Europe is, in general, more concerned about energy consumption than the US.”
Smart rack PDUs are projected to grow nearly twice as fast as non-smart units over the next five years because they can monitor and track power consumption within a rack or across a data center. This capability allows data center operators to improve energy efficiency and optimize resource allocation.
“We can expect to see a lot of changes in the top 10 list of suppliers in this industry, even though APC by Schneider Electric, Server Technology, and Emerson have been the top three rack PDU suppliers in recent years. Together, these companies accounted for 40.5 percent of total market revenue in 2011,” Gallardo added.
