Background 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen building occupancy levels fall to an all-time low. With such a reduction in numbers and with increased restrictions, the number of staff allowed on-site at any one time was greatly reduced. Even though most staff were and still are working remotely from home, there is still a reliance on the company’s onsite IT infrastructure. The Comms Room now plays an even more pivotal role in keeping work colleagues connected and preserving access to their work-related materials.  

Business Challenge 

With a reduction in numbers onsite, this means less opportunity for on-site inspections of Comms Rooms, which is seen as a necessary preventative measure to help reduce the likelihood of outages caused by heat or water related damage. We were tasked with developing cost-effective ways of remotely monitoring for Heat and Water damage in real-time. 

How we Helped 

By first conducting a comprehensive review of our clients Comms Rooms, we were able to identify key areas within the room that should be monitored. Air intake and outtake vents of the servers are monitored for temperature with thresholds set in line with manufacturer guidelines. This not only ensures that the room is not too hot, preventing overheating and the possibility of critical damage, but also that the air is not to cold and that money is not being wasted by overuse of the Air Conditioning system. 

We are also monitoring any potential leakage zones for water; these sensors are calibrated for real-time monitoring as water damage of any kind can be catastrophic to server functionality. 

We have also made this system extremely cost efficient with twenty-four-hour monitoring in place with corresponding auto allocation to on-site and out of hours on-call facilities services giving peace of mind and clarity of data to our clients during uncertain times.