Interact launches Verify to model data centre decisions

Interact has launched Interact Verify, a simulation tool for data centre hardware decisions designed to help organisations assess cost, performance and environmental effects before investing.

The product enters the market as data centre operators face growing pressure to add capacity while limiting energy use, water consumption and operating costs. It also comes amid increased scrutiny from European policymakers over efficiency standards.

The software allows users to test planned changes across both new and existing estates. It is intended to help organisations compare hardware choices, consolidation plans and migration scenarios, while measuring possible effects on energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption and cost.

The tool can also show how changes could affect official environmental ratings, including requirements linked to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and the EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres.

Built on 10 years of peer-reviewed research, the system draws on data from more than 500 data centres. Interact says that dataset enables the software to use the formal measurements required by EU regulations in its simulations.

Global electricity demand from data centres is expected to rise sharply in the coming years. Interact cited projections that worldwide data centre electricity consumption could more than double to about 945 TWh by 2030, while the European Commission is consulting on a common rating scheme and possible minimum performance standards based on metrics including energy and water efficiency.

Four simulations

Interact Verify includes four simulation types aimed at different decision points: Discovery, Consolidation, Host-to-host and Environmental Compliance.

The Discovery option is intended to give organisations a view of their current infrastructure and its performance, helping identify areas for improvement.

The Consolidation model is designed to test how infrastructure might be rationalised and resized, giving teams evidence to support capacity planning and future requirements.

Host-to-host simulations focus on procurement decisions by comparing hardware options before a purchase is made. The Environmental Compliance model assesses infrastructure against relevant European requirements and shows the likely effect of changes.

The software operates as a self-service tool. Users can upload details of existing systems and receive scenario results in minutes, together with evidence on each option before a hardware refresh or wider investment decision.

Regulatory pressure

The launch reflects a wider shift in how data centre operators are expected to measure performance. Energy use has long dominated discussions about digital infrastructure, but water consumption is becoming more prominent as regulators and operators examine the full resource demands of facilities.

European policymakers have increased their focus on data centre reporting as the sector expands. Proposed Commission measures include a common rating framework for data centres, with energy and water efficiency among the criteria under review.

That backdrop could increase demand for tools that provide documented assessments before spending decisions are made. Interact says its software creates an evidence-based record of environmental performance that organisations can use alongside internal procurement, finance and IT planning.

"Today's launch marks a significant milestone for us. We have built Interact Verify on a decade of advisory, data and research to respond to the greatest challenges faced by data centre operators.

"Every operator knows they need to respond to rising demand in a world with finite resources. However, the how is incredibly complex. We are uniquely able to respond to these challenges because we hold the extensive data needed to apply the formal metrics required under EU law.

"On an environmental level, water has often been treated as secondary to carbon by international regulations and resource-intensive sectors. This is finally beginning to change. Verify responds to this evolving picture and puts water alongside carbon, cost and hardware performance to build a complete overview that operators can rely on.

"We offer four different types of simulation as part of Interact Verify, each tailored to a different decision-making process and able to offer our most informed hardware optimisation recommendations yet. The result is investments and planning based on real evidence, available whenever it is required, saving time, money and natural resources," said Rich Kenny, Managing Director, Interact.

Interact says the aim is to put evidence in front of decision-makers before budgets are committed. It pointed to use cases involving procurement, finance and IT teams weighing the operational and environmental implications of competing infrastructure options.

The business says it has previously worked with the Netherlands government, Tier 1 banks and global service providers on IT server efficiency. Interact Verify is being made available to organisations across the UK, Europe and North America.

"The aim is to give organisations evidence before a decision is made, allowing procurement, finance and IT teams to explore different scenarios, including the impact on cost, energy, carbon and water, before committing budget or making changes to their infrastructure," said Kenny.