West Kingston, RI-based American Power Conversion (APC) is well known as a maker of power distribution and UPS equipment, but now the company is leveraging that expertise into energy management software for data centers.

The company has established its own software business operating under the InfraStruXure brand. The suite runs the gamut of energy monitoring, reporting, PUE calculators and capacity planning tools — nothing you won’t find from a host of other vendors. However, the move puts the company in a position of strength with data center operators when they retrofit old facilities or plan new builds with APC power equipment in mind.

And rather than treating the endeavor as a side project or supplemental product team, the InfraStrucXure is set up as a separate division within APC, with all of the product development, marketing, sales and accountability functions involved in running a full-fledged division within any corporation.

As Data Center Journal’s Jeffrey Clark points out…

“In establishing the new business, APC could project a sense of greater dedication and professionalism to customers. As concern over energy usage and other aspects of infrastructure management grow, the demand for tools that aid in tracking and reducing costs, environmental impact, and use of resources such as water and energy will also grow. APC’s new business will likely increase the company’s focus on meeting this demand”

Agreed. But the real promise comes from the innovations that could result if both sides of the business — power equipment and software — can work in a synergistic manner. Can APC turn data center power infrastructures into  ultra-efficient, mini-smart-grids? Let’s hope.