Paul Greenley

Data centres are at a critical juncture, given the AI/sustainability paradox. More than ever before, operators are reacting to a global transformation of the data centre industry by balancing rapid innovation with environmental responsibility.

Vodafone in particular has been aiming to overhaul its global data centre strategy in recent months, having announced a significant investment over the next 10 years to accelerate digital transformation and efficiencies in data centre migration.

Having been at Vodafone for 12 years, Paul Greenley, Vodafone's Senior Principal Manager DC Infrastructure & Facilities, has helped the company make several changes inside its data centres.

“We have large data centres in Ireland, Italy, Germany and the UK,” Paul explains. “Around these group data centres, we have what we call satellite data centres: smaller facilities that still adhere to group standards but are run by local markets.”

He adds: “Our transformation has been driven by on-premises solutions 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.”

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.

“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,” Paul explains. “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.”

Embracing emerging technologies

Vodafone's data centre strategy in the near future is to focus on maintaining uptime within its data centres, but to also expand within its existing data centres – with the end goal of removing legacy systems altogether. 

“Our first option is to move legacy systems to the cloud and the second is to lift and shift them out entirely,” Paul shares. “We are always evaluating in terms of cost savings and value. When we decommission legacy systems, we want to unplug the power, reclaim the kilowatts and then assess the financial benefits.”

With partners like Kirby Group Engineering, Paul is confident that its transformation efforts will be successfully scaled to suit the unique business needs of its customers moving forward. 

“They are our partners for expansion,” he says. “They have proved themselves in the way they developed our on-cloud-prem solutions that we wanted in just five months, in addition to the successful build out and putting pods in the room and achieving fantastic results.”

To read the full story, click HERE.​​​​​​​

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