“Efficiency isn’t just about saving energy. It’s about giving time back to the business.”

This idea was at the heart of Schneider Electric’s TechCentral breakfast, “The digital advantage”, a gathering of technology leaders from the banking and industrial services sectors.

The event explored how intelligent infrastructure is reshaping South Africa’s data landscape, with a special focus on the evolving demands of artificial intelligence, sustainability and operational resilience.

Before diving into the digital tools transforming data centres, the session opened with a critical conversation on power continuity, especially in the age of AI.

As AI drives exponential growth in data processing, the need for uninterrupted, high-quality power has never been more urgent. UPS systems are no longer just backup solutions, they’re foundational to AI infrastructure. They ensure that compute-intensive workloads, machine learning models and real-time analytics continue running without disruption, even during grid instability or outages.

At the centre of this discussion was the Galaxy GVXL, Schneider Electric’s flagship UPS solution. Designed for high-density environments, GVXL delivers scalable, efficient, and intelligent power protection. Its modular architecture and advanced battery management make it ideal for AI-driven workloads, offering:

High efficiency at partial loads
Predictive maintenance capabilities
Seamless integration with EcoStruxure IT

Galaxy GVXL is a platform for resilience, enabling organisations to build AI-ready infrastructure that’s both robust and sustainable.

From there, the conversation then transitioned into the broader EcoStruxure IT suite that’s redefining how data centres operate complementing power resilience with digital intelligence. Rather than chasing incremental gains, Schneider’s vision is bold: data centres that sense, predict and adapt in real time.

A framework that thinks in layers

At the heart of it is EcoStruxure IT is a layered system built to bring clarity and control to complex hybrid environments. It works across three levels: connected devices, control systems and intelligent applications. Every signal is captured and turned into insight that teams can act on.

This isn’t limited to Schneider hardware. The open design integrates with both Schneider and third-party systems, offering operators a single, unified view of power, cooling and performance across the edge and the core. The goal: a resilient infrastructure that’s efficient by design and sustainable by default.

DCIM 3.0

Schneider calls this new phase DCIM 3.0, a next-generation approach to data centre infrastructure management that blends on-premises and cloud-based visibility. It reflects how the industry itself has evolved: from monitoring to modelling, from reporting to anticipating.

EcoStruxure IT’s dual platforms, data centre expert for on-premises control and IT expert for cloud operations, provide operators with flexibility and security. Together, they deliver a continuous feedback loop that helps teams plan capacity, model performance and optimise resources without compromising uptime.

Even the smaller tools show how far the portfolio has come. Take PowerChute Network Shutdown: it handles graceful server shutdowns and restarts automatically; no extra hardware needed. It’s a small feature, but it makes a big difference – reducing human error and keeping operations running when the power flickers.

Seeing more, managing better

Resilience starts with visibility. NetBotz, highlighted at the breakfast, goes beyond monitoring power and cooling. It keeps an eye on temperature, humidity, vibration, smoke and even leaks, giving operators a heads-up before minor issues turn into outages.

The platform also manages rack-level surveillance and access control, so that only sanctioned staff can interact with sensitive infrastructure. It’s a reminder that digital resilience depends on physical security too, an often-overlooked truth in a cloud-first world.

From data to direction

Where EcoStruxure IT truly stands apart is in its ability to translate raw operational data into business intelligence. That’s the purpose of the advanced custom solutions (ACS) engine, a flexible layer that ingests data from multiple systems, from building management and energy monitoring to IT service management and enterprise resource planning.

For customers, that means more than visibility. It means insight that drives strategy. ACS automates reporting, customer billing and energy analysis, while offering custom integrations that fit the unique workflows of colocation providers, enterprises and hyperscale operators alike. It’s a bridge between engineering and operations, between sustainability goals and measurable outcomes.

Lowering operational costs

Cooling remains one of the biggest operational costs (and carbon contributors) in data centres. That’s why Schneider’s Cooling Optimise drew particular attention. Powered by machine learning, it uses predictive algorithms to model airflow, anticipate hot spots and adjust cooling output dynamically.

The results are clear:

Up to 40% reduction in cooling power
13% improvement in power usage effectiveness
98% reduction in hot spots

By continuously learning from live data, the system not only reduces waste but extends the life of critical equipment. It’s a real-world example of sustainability that pays for itself in energy savings and improved uptime.

The science behind it all

To take optimisation a step further, Schneider demonstrated IT Design CFD, its advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool built specifically for data centres. Unlike traditional CFD software, which can be slow and resource-intensive, IT Design CFD runs entirely in the browser, powered by GPU acceleration.

The software shows airflow almost in real time. Designers and engineers can test layouts, tweak configurations and pinpoint thermal risks long before a single rack is installed. It turns static blueprints into living models, letting teams make smarter design choices that boost reliability and efficiency.

In an industry where cooling inefficiencies can quietly consume a third of total energy use, tools like this are essential.

Bridging OT and IT

Throughout the session, one message stood out: Schneider Electric excels at bringing operational technology (OT) and information technology together. While many competitors stick to one or the other, Schneider connects the physical and the digital, which is at the heart of EcoStruxure.

The payoff is an infrastructure that reacts on its own. It senses environmental changes, predicts power trends and adjusts automatically. Managing a data centre isn’t just about oversight anymore, it’s about giving the data centre the tools to manage itself.

Towards a digital advantage

As the event ended, one takeaway stood out: the future of data centres will be defined not by scale, but by intelligence. Efficiency, security and sustainability are no longer competing priorities, they’re converging into a single digital advantage.

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure IT suite doesn’t promise perfection. It offers something more practical: the tools, insights and automation needed to make every watt, every sensor and every decision count.

In a world that’s generating more data than ever, that kind of intelligence is the new foundation for resilience.