With this line of pre-certified, pre-tested and shockproof solutions for converged and Hyperconverged Infrastructure, the company aims to increase speed of deployment and simplify installation, whilst enabling APC Channel Partners, Systems Integrators and Value-Added Resellers (VARs) to complete all integration and configuration work for the customer, before shipping.

NetShelter SX with Shock Packaging design was vigorously tested as part of the Cisco certification process to ensure the safety of the systems during transportation, where pre-racked IT equipment can be at risk from shock and vibration. It provides customers with peace of mind for successful deployment of pre-racked Cisco UCS kit.

The Cisco certification also means APC Channel Partners can not only deliver NetShelter racks with Cisco converged infrastructure, but combine the solution with all the complementary power, cooling, and software systems that comprise the Schneider Electric’s InfraStruxure and award-winning Micro Data Centre product portfolio. This includes Micro Data Center (DC) Xpress, which offers customers complete IT infrastructure within a stand-alone, single cabinet or rack enclosure.

Besides its performance and operational benefits, company’s have widely adopted converged infrastructure solutions due to the time saved in initial setup and installation. Systems are delivered pre-racked in IT cabinets, an integral component of the solution, which allows vendors to increase the speed of deployment and success for converged customers.

Architectures including the Cisco-NetApp FlexPod, Dell-EMC VBLOCK, and Cisco-IBM VersaStack, whos converged appliances utilise their own reference architectures, have fast become established converged infrastructure solutions. However previously, Cisco only allowed its UCS servers to ship pre-racked in Cisco racks, as any other would void the UCS warranty.

“This new certification from Cisco demonstrates APC’s commitment to providing Channel Partners and customers with the simplified, powerful and integrated solutions required to support business growth in an increasingly data-driven IT environment.” said Rob McKernan, Senior Vice President, IT Channels, IT Division, Schneider Electric. “With shockproof packaging, customers can have the peace of mind that their most valuable assets will be delivered quickly and deployed efficiently, to avoid downtime and support business continuity.”

Recently APC announced that its PowerChute™ Network Shutdown v4.2 power protection software received Nutanix Ready Core Management & Operations certification for Nutanix ESXi and Hyper-V hyperconverged infrastructure deployments. The certification eliminates typical compatibility testing by Channel Partners and ensures the highest level of protection for complex mission-critical systems.

PowerChute software is compatible with APC’s InfraStruxure and NetShelter SX, which is the foundational building block of the company’s Data Centre and Micro Data Centre solutions for Edge Computing portfolio.  InfraStruxure is Schneider Electric’s modular, scalable data centre infrastructure architecture that simplifies designing, deployment, and management of IT in multi-rack deployments.

APC Partners can now deliver this business-critical investment to customers safely inside Schneider Electric’s NetShelter SX with Shock Packaging, which supports up to 900kg of IT and infrastructure equipment. Partners can also benefit from converged infrastructure solutions, which fall under the APC Attach Incentive Program (AIP) and the Edge IT Program in the U.S.A. and will be available in the UK later this year.