For HVAC and PUMP original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) building cooling systems for data centers, there’s a key element that many component suppliers don’t want to talk about: software can be a real differentiator. A quality, comprehensive software architecture ensures your cooling system integrates with the rest of the data center infrastructure. It also makes it less time-consuming and costly to integrate the individual components that make up your system.

AI-powered software architecture significantly boosts data center efficiency and slashes resolution times through predictive, proactive management. Your clients—hyperscalers and large operators—won’t want to miss out on these advantages. It’s a smart move to partner with suppliers who excel in this software space.

Why integrated software makes life easier for OEMs

Thinking about the issue from the data center owner or operator’s point of view, downtime isn’t an option. Even something small, like a component starting to act a little off, can be an early warning sign of a bigger problem. That’s where AI really helps with its ability to ingest mountains of data, analyze it, and identify performance anomalies. With that kind of data in hand, the data center owner can address issues before they become critical and turn into outages. It is a shift from putting out fires to staying one step ahead.

Because cooling systems are an essential element of the data center infrastructure, they naturally need to be tied to the software systems that control the data center as a whole. For OEMs, integrating cooling control and automation hardware with advanced software transforms a standard component into a strategic asset, driving immediate efficiency and long-term reliability.

By applying precise, real-time control strategies and advanced analytics, OEMs can optimize system performance through dynamic load alignment and fine-tuned operational adjustments. This level of precision enables significant reductions in energy consumption while improving overall efficiency metrics such as power utilization.

Beyond immediate operational gains, these tightly controlled systems support predictive diagnostics that enhance reliability, reduce unplanned disruptions, and extend equipment life. The result is a more controlled and efficient operating environment where performance is continuously optimized, lowering the total cost of ownership by shifting from reactive intervention to proactive, precision-driven management.

Employing a common software platform that covers shared elements such as variable-speed drives (VSDs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human machine interfaces (HMIs), and other machine-level components also means you don’t need to use or understand software unique to each component. Instead, they’re all included under a single software umbrella.

Additionally, much of what you need will be pre-programmed. You simply specify the HMI or VSD you’re using, and function blocks and mapping for those elements will already be done. You reduce your software development time by programming multiple components in one go and likely increase accuracy and reliability.

The value of open, integrated data center management platforms

That’s what Schneider Electric delivers with its EcoStruxure^TM Automation Expert software, designed for digital control systems in discrete, hybrid, and continuous industrial processes, including data centers. 

With EcoStruxure, you get benefits including:

• Working within an architecture that is familiar and welcomed by some of the world’s largest data center operators.
• Access to canned software that makes it easy to integrate your components, saving you time and money.
• A single pane of glass through which clients can view your cooling system, along with the rest of their data center infrastructure.

Available for early access in 2027, EcoStruxure Foresight adds AI capabilities and a single, intuitive interface for monitoring, controlling, and analyzing data. It is designed to improve operational efficiency through simplified lifecycle management and enhance uptime with AI-driven diagnostics and alarms. It will support fast, future-ready deployments with a scalable, open architecture.

Choosing an OEM partner that brings software to the table

As a data center cooling OEM, you’ve got options when it comes to suppliers, and today, it’s about more than just the equipment. The real differentiator is the software behind it. Platforms that combine control, visibility, and predictive insights make it easier to integrate systems, reduce complexity, and deliver greater value to your customers.

Schneider Electric’s software portfolio in the data center space helps operators monitor what is happening now, plan what happens next, and reduce risk across the physical infrastructure that supports IT workloads. It is designed for environments ranging from edge and enterprise facilities to large cloud and colocation data centers

Learn more about the complete lineup of Schneider Electric data center cooling solutions. Visit our HVAC control solutions site.