Accelerating data centre cabling installation

Corning has unveiled its newest connectivity solution, the EDGE™ Distribution System. Designed to meet the ever-growing demand for information processing in the cloud, this pre-engineered data center solution shortens installation time for server cabling by up to 70%, helps address shortages in skilled labor, and provides up to a 55% reduction in carbon footprint by minimizing materials and packaging.

Today’s data centers – the massive storage hubs that support today’s data-rich applications – must expand to process increasing flows of information, especially as machine learning and artificial intelligence become integral to more and more industries. The EDGE Distribution System builds on Corning’s decades of experience developing pre-engineered solutions for the optical communications industry. The system simplifies the deployment of cabling within data centers, all the way to the server racks.

“This is a critical moment for cloud data centers. They need to quickly ramp up capacity in a time of labor constraints. Corning designed the EDGE Distribution System to meet those needs, providing a new path to capacity, speed, and sustainability,” said Michael O’Day, vice president and chief technology officer, Corning Optical Communications.

Initial deployments at hyperscale data centers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia have shown that the EDGE Distribution System can lower total installed cost by up to 20%.

The EDGE Distribution System is:

• Faster: Existing data center solutions can be too costly or take too long to deploy. The EDGE Distribution System allows operators to add capacity more quickly, consolidating dozens of patch cords into a single assembly. This accelerates the installation process by 70%, makes it safer, and reduces reliance on skilled labor. By adding capacity more quickly, operators can also lower total installed cost and shorten the path to revenue recognition.

• More sustainable: Operators can redesign their physical networks, from the leaf switches to the top-of-rack switches, minimizing the use of metal and plastic and reducing the carbon footprint of the optical links. In addition, consolidating all the patch cords into one assembly minimizes the use of cable trays and product packaging. Together, the consolidation of cable and the minimizing of materials and packaging can provide up to a 55% reduction in carbon footprint compared to legacy solutions.

• Customizable: Operators can use Corning’s virtual configuration tools and expert, regionally based technical support to customize the system to their desired fiber counts, number of access points, and connector type.  

“The EDGE Distribution System represents why Corning is vital to progress. Customers bring us their toughest technology challenges, and we combine our core technologies with our manufacturing and engineering platforms to create solutions that move entire industries forward,” said O’Day.