What is MODULAR?

Rarely does a day go by that I don’t speak with someone who uses the words “modular” and “container” interchangeably. To my surprise, since taking over as NxGen Modular’s President and CEO, one of my many roles is that of an educator who regularly explains:

 Containerized data centers are typically weather-proof shipping containers that house pre-installed servers, storage and networking gear connected to outside power, cooling and network feeds.

Modular data centers start with proven designs for all components of the data center. Standardized components are configured in a factory according to the customized and specific needs of the owner or end-user.

While containers – “data centers in a box” – certainly achieve low cost and efficient speed-to-market, they lack the scalability and flexibility that today’s owner find in modular solutions.

NxGen is in the midst of a public education campaign meant to raise awareness and help prospective data center owners and lessors better understand the differences between these two approaches to data centers.

And this blog is just one of many mechanisms we are using to achieve those ends.

In early 2012, NxGen will publish the results of an industry survey created to measure awareness of modular data centers and understanding of the advantages of modular solutions.

Shortly thereafter, we will roll out our first white paper that deals with this very topic.

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