I recently went to the BICSI Winter Conference in Tampa, Florida, and, aside from the 80°F weather, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of innovation that greeted attendees on the show floor.
One of the first things I noticed was the focus on safety. From Panduit’s VeriSafe Absence of Voltage Testers to Specified Technology Inc.’s EZ Path Fire-Rated Pathways, manufacturers are taking the possibility of human error out of the equation to ensure accident-free work zones for essential workers.
And, while facility design may be viewed from an aesthetic angle, companies, like Snake Tray, AFL, and Sumitomo Electric, demonstrate how thoughtful design can lead to seamless operations.
Walking through the aisles, I was amazed by the creative solutions this industry has developed to overcome the sheer number of challenges. I don’t expect the problems to go away any time soon. But, the good news is, the solutions are here to stay. Manufacturers are upping their games when it comes to innovative, sustainable products, and Mission Critical wants to showcase the efforts.
The fourth annual Top Tier Products contest is happening now, and you can be a part of it!
The awards recognize manufacturing excellence in mission critical equipment that embraces safety, energy efficiency, and innovative solutions to ensure reliable uptime for the data centers of today and tomorrow. Products will be judged by a panel of third-party industry experts who have pledged to volunteer their time to research the new technologies and share their findings with our readers.
Winners will be awarded across 10 categories:
- Batteries
- Cabinets
- Cables/Cable Management Systems
- IT Equipment
- Power Systems/Products
- Racks
- Security Systems
- Software
- Thermal Management Systems
- UPS Systems
We are looking for more judges to join our advisory board in taking a deep-dive look at today’s products and the footprints they leave behind on their way to tomorrow’s data centers. If you are an expert in one of these categories and would like to serve on our panel of judges, contact me at al-katiba@bnpmedia.com. Manufacturers interested in putting the spotlight on their products should apply now. Submissions are due April 30 at a rate of $149 per product. The judges rate the products on ease of installation, use, and maintenance; reliability; competitive difference; design flexibility; energy efficiency; security features; and other defining characteristics unique to each category/application. Mission Critical will reveal the winners of each category in the August issue of our eMagazine.
