Forrester was invited to a Siemens Industry Analyst Day event focused on data centers in Zug, Switzerland and received presentations covering a wide variety of data center topics, as well as a tour of Siemens’ facilities showcasing the practical application of its strategy and products. There were a variety of key topics covered at the event.

Market Strategy

Siemens showcased its product solutions across several categories: power solutions, automation, infrastructure management, thermal optimization, physical security, fire safety, digital twins, microgrids, lifecycle services, and financial services. This included how the company is leveraging its Xcelerator platform, open protocols, and partnerships to benefit customers in the most flexible way.

Impactful Sustainability

Siemens’ data center sustainability efforts are centered on three points: decarbonization and energy efficiency; resource efficiency and circularity; and a focus on impacts to people and society. The company has established the DEGREE framework guiding Siemens’ sustainability ambitions, as well as for its customers. The presentation highlighted how its solutions address these three points on sustainability with specific solutions, along with case studies showing the real impact seen by customers.

Scalability From Modular Power

Siemens presented the challenges seen from changes in the requirements of data centers: bigger campuses, the need to be environmentally friendly, and the difficulties in design standardization with different standards and across regions. Siemens’ modular power presentation highlighted its solutions and how they can be used to accelerate delivery and reduce costs for data center buildouts. This is achieved by leveraging global centers of competence and customizable prefabricated modular power solutions, from e-houses to kiosks and skids.

Digital Twins Driving Design To Operations

Siemens showcased how it is leveraging digital twins for infrastructure and building management. The benefits of using the digital twin approach for data centers is not just for operations but also for design and construction, as well. The presentation outlined how Siemens enables and uses digital twins, the different levels of digital twin maturity that it sees (cognitive, prescriptive, predictive, informative, and descriptive), and a case study with the actual value realized by this approach. Siemens’ customers are still at the beginning of the journey on this topic.

Automation And Operations

Siemens presented different solutions for data center-automated management of infrastructure, power, thermals, and HVAC systems. The presentation included different reference architectures for automated control, as well as how the company addresses challenges with brownfield scenarios, evolving technologies, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach.

Monitoring For Secure And Reliable Operations

Siemens’ energy and power quality monitoring solutions target future data center needs in terms of performance, sustainability, and resiliency. The presentation illustrated how its solutions address security, reporting, integration with other vendors, and power quality issues, with resiliency being a clear Siemens priority.

If you have more questions about Siemens or how its solutions address data centers and sustainability, please submit an inquiry request or reach out to your account team.