TOSHIBA in Japan has announced that it is to enter the market for space-saving and environmentally conscious modular data centres. The announcement follows the completion of an experimental demonstration facility at its Fuchu Complex in western Tokyo.
Each server room of these space-saving and stackable units is provided with an air conditioning unit employing free-cooling. Estimates for a unit installed in Kanto, Japan, the region around Tokyo, indicate that using natural air cooling at all times other than the hot summer season cuts power consumption to around 35% that of a typical equivalent data centre.

Toshiba will accelerate domestic and overseas promotion of the data centre business and targets annual sales of approximately £150m in 2015.