VODAFONE
for different Vodafone programmes . My job is to ensure we can handle these demands , cool them properly , and avoid building outside .
“ We ’ re essentially transforming a legacy data centre into a new data centre from the inside .”
A new type of data centre transformation Having been in the data centre industry for more than 40 years , Paul is no stranger to the unique requirements of a modern data centre world .
“ I ’ ve got vast experience in both operations and facilities , which is quite unique in the industry – you ’ re typically either in data centre operations doing the cabling and server racking , that type of role , or facility management with generators and UPSs ,” he explains . “ I spent 20 years in Canada , where I was also a member of the Association for Computer Operations Management ( AFCOM ) board – you have to be invited to join , and I was on the board for seven years . We would consult with industry peers about what ’ s coming up , what next-generation data centres look like and what future cooling looks like .”
“ It comes down to price and delivery and reliability ”
PAUL GREENLEY , SENIOR PRINCIPAL MANAGER DC INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES , VODAFONE GROUP DATA CENTRES
One of the largest changes that Vodafone is undergoing in its data centre transformation is related to high-kilowatt demand and the associated cooling challenges . Increased data demand from customers creates more power and therefore heat – consequently requiring more technology to effectively cool essential systems while keeping emissions down . To mitigate this influx in heat , the company has partnered with suppliers on innovative solutions .
“ We ’ ve partnered with vendors to extract the hot air inside the aisle containment into the data centre when it ’ s cold , so the heat doesn ’ t affect the rest of the room ,” Paul explains .
“ If you put a pod in a data centre of 20 racks at 15 kilowatts a rack , that produces a lot of heat that ’ s going out into the rest of the facility . Our transformation has come from these demands , which are being driven by on-prem solutions . My job is to make sure we can handle those demands and cool them properly without having to build outside . We ’ re really transforming within a legacy data centre , making it a new data centre inside .”
Keeping solutions on-site As the data centre continually evolves to suit customer demand , increasing rack densities are causing operators to be faced with a difficult task – do they abandon these facilities and build more capable data centres from the ground up , or do they spend more money retrofitting new projects amongst legacy equipment ?
62 March 2025