News

CUI and VPS pen Software-Defined Power Partnership

January 18, 2016 by Jeff Shepard

CUI Inc. announced a limited exclusivity agreement today for hardware development with Virtual Power Systems (VPS), a cutting edge Software Defined Power® company. The companies will partner to set a new standard for an efficient power infrastructure for data centers. With this agreement, CUI will design, manufacture, and distribute the hardware component of the ICE (Intelligent Control of Energy) system that realizes the full value of the VPS solution. The ICE Block hardware is managed and controlled through the ICE Platform, a tightly integrated suite of software developed by VPS.

The ICE Block will enable data center operators to double power and server utilization, reduce costs, and greatly improve availability. This partnership between the two organizations is the first step in creating a larger Software Defined Power ecosystem, from board level to system level, ultimately creating a more intelligent, more efficient data center infrastructure.

“We continue to look for partners that add value to the entire power ecosystem,” said Matt McKenzie, President of CUI Inc. “This partnership is the first that is outside of the power supply itself and adds significant value to our entire power infrastructure portfolio, from board to rack level.”

Through numerous surveys and studies, data center power consistently emerges as the most critical area that needs to be addressed to support the growth of ”Internet of Things”, mobile, and supporting infrastructure. The first ICE Block is under development now, with initial prototype installs coming later in 2016.

“We see VPS’s patented technology as a difference maker for the data center, but we also see value in other markets going forward,” added McKenzie. “A true Software Defined Power ecosystem requires a collaborative effort, and our partnership with VPS is the first of many we will look to so we can continue to support this space in new and innovative ways.”

An existing data center can see up to a 15-25% reduction in power cost coupled with the avoidance of 40-60% of conventional capex investment with the combined ICE system. In addition, this new infrastructure will enable data centers to continue their aggressive growth paths via a solution that can be installed and initialized in just days vs. the months required with traditional approaches. Data center operators can immediately experience significant improvements in operational flexibility, utilization, and management.

“VPS needed a partner that could move quickly, understood the value of Software Defined Power, and had the design capabilities required to develop the hardware that could mate with our innovative software. CUI became the logical choice as our hardware partner,” said Shankar Ramamurthy, CEO of Virtual Power Systems.

Software-defined power architectures (SDPAs) are an emerging and dynamic segment of the overall digital power market, according to Darnell Group's Sixth Edition analysis of Trends in Digital Power Conversion AC-DC Power Supplies and DC-DC Modules: Worldwide Forecasts, Market Drivers and Commercial Developments. “Darnell Group projects SDPAs will be the defining aspect of the second decade of digital power technology. SDPAs are projected to be enabled by the development of software-defined networks and cloud computing and continued advances in A/D and D/A conversion, power conversion and power management technologies. The concept will continue to evolve and expand as enabled by future generations of the related technologies,” stated Richard Ruiz, analyst with Darnell Group.

“CUI and VPS are among the ‘early movers’ in this exciting and important new frontier in power electronics technology and energy efficiency,” Ruiz concluded.