Uptime Institute Professional Services recently hired new Director of Technical Services, Debbie Seidman. She will be managing Uptime Institute’s delivery of Design and Facility Tier Certifications worldwide.
Seidman’s previous jobs include deploying modular data center products for HP, developing data center utility rebate programs with Xcel Energy, and over twenty years experience as a facility project manager and operations engineer.
Modular data center experience: Seidman’s role at HP was liaison between HP and customers, making sure the customer had the appropriate infrastructure in place before the Pod arrived. She also oversaw start-up, commissioning and turn-over processes.
Seidman said modular data centers (prefab units delivered on site) allow companies to roll out a staged deployment, a piece at a time. It’s quicker than traditional construction, and there can be cost advantages.
On the other hand, Seidman said brick and mortar data centers allow for more design flexibility, and that some geographic locations may have long term permit issues with regard to prefab structures for aesthetic reasons.
“I don’t think we’ll see the entire data center market going modular, Seidman said. “It’s adaptable, compact, and can be less expensive in upfront costs. But you can’t just plug these things in, you need to ensure the infrastructure is in place.”
At Xcel Energy, Seidman was responsible for driving data center adoption of demand-side energy efficiency rebates. One of the objectives of the program was to drive cooperation between facilities and IT departments.
Energy efficient IT equipment, efficient server power supplies, server virtualization software, or energy efficient UPS systems all cost more money upfront. Seidman said there is a payback over time, but companies don’t always analyze the total cost of ownership. So utilities step in to encourage implementing more efficient equipment.
“Energy efficient rebate money is available, it’s up to the owners to pursue it,” Seidman said. “Data center operators are risk averse people, and trying something new takes additional time and work. A rebate can bring the costs down, but it takes more effort than a standard design. But people should know about their utility’s rebate programs. It’s available to them as a rate payer.”
Uptime Institute is proud to welcome Debbie Seidman to the team.
