Organisations today are increasingly demanding more value, improved operations and positive business results. One way to close this gap is to deliver ‘as a service’ programmes to meet the above with predictable, consistent and reliable outcomes.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) has emerged as a feasible option that maintains crucial infrastructure such as IT, power consumption and business continuity while organisations focus on their core business.
In South Africa, we are seeing an increase in IaaS adoption with managed service providers delivering innovative, critical infrastructure services. And the benefits are numerous, particularly to those businesses that require consistent secure power and IT to operate at peak performance.
Why IaaS makes sense now
In the case of IT infrastructure, organisations often must commit to considerable CAPEX to acquire and maintain the technology. Here, managed service providers can play a valuable role as they own the infrastructure and manage it on behalf of the organisation. This means the organisation not only saves on acquisition and installation time but only pays for what it uses, be it secure power, IT infrastructure or cooling, or all the above.
Organisations are now freed to focus on their core business while the experts service and manage the infrastructure. This also enables businesses to predict their monthly expenditure and manage their operation costs accordingly.
The provision of secure power is another important IaaS benefit. Secure power provides critical protection to IT infrastructure and, importantly, business continuity. It enables organisations to operate while mitigating the potential loss of business earnings.
At its core, secure power provides clean, continuous power and encompasses equipment such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) standby generators and automatic voltage regulators and so forth.
When this infrastructure is then delivered to organisation on an IaaS basis, it is then called Secure-Power-as-a-Service (SPaaS).
At Schneider Electric, we have seen SPaaS starting to enjoy some uptake, albeit on a smaller scale. Managed service providers are now starting to provide secure power to customers using, for example, a pool of single-phase UPSs, installed on site. The organisation is then billed for the usage of the SPaaS.
There is no doubt that the local marketplace is ready to start adopting SPaaS. The world is moving towards a consumption economy where it only pays for the experience and not for the assets that enable it.
All eyes on the modern DCS platform Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Modernised DCS platforms are no longer confined to hardware-dependent architectures. These systems have evolved to combine the strengths of both PLCs and DCS while adding capabilities that make them more open, resilient and collaborative.
Read more...Why choose between Capex and Opex if you can Totex? Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
In a sector marked by cyclical demand, high capital intensity, and increasing regulatory and sustainability pressures, mining, minerals and metals (MMM) companies are re-evaluating how they approach procurement and investment.
Read more...AI and the smart factory Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Imagine walking into a factory where machines can think ahead, predict problems before they happen and automatically make adjustments to realise peak performance. This isn’t science fiction, it’s happening right now as AI continues to transform how we run industrial operations.
Read more...Why your supply chain should be a competitive advantage Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
The last five years have placed unprecedented strain on global supply chains. Leading companies are turning the challenge into an opportunity to transform their supply chains into a competitive advantage.
Read more...Real-time modelling is the key to a resilient, bi-directional energy grid Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Utilities and municipalities are facing a challenge as the country’s legacy power grid, engineered for one-way energy delivery from centralised suppliers to end-users, must rapidly evolve to meet a new paradigm.
Read more...Shielding data centre growth from the looming power crunch Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Today’s digital economy is placing unprecedented strain on the power grid. The good news is that these challenges are not insurmountable. By adopting proactive strategies such as alternative power sources, infrastructure planning and software, operators can secure capacity, build resilient facilities and scale sustainably.
Read more...Circuit breaker innovations Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Recent advancements in circuit breaker technology have seen a major step forward in setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability in data centres, industrial and commercial infrastructure.
Read more...Why AI will never truly understand machines Wearcheck
IT in Manufacturing
Cutting-edge technology and solutions powered by AI are embraced by specialist condition monitoring company, WearCheck, where the extreme accuracy of data used to assess and diagnose machine health is paramount.
Read more...Buildings and microgrids for a greener future Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Buildings are no longer passive consumers of power. Structures of almost every size are evolving into dynamic energy ecosystems capable of generating, storing and distributing their own electricity. Forming part of this exciting transformation are microgrids.
Read more...Africa’s brightest young battery innovators Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version