There's more to data center management than keeping track of who-knows-how-many millions or billions of bits of data coming in daily. There's also the challenge of keeping track of the servers and storage devices that process and house all that information.
Hewlett-Packard Co. is applying RFID technology to the task, offering a new service aimed at helping customers keep track of data center hardware assets and, consequently, reduce property loss, increase security, and improve audit controls. The HP Factory Express RFID service places standard, Generation 2 RFID tags on HP factory-built servers, storage devices, and rack enclosures, enabling customers to use just about any RFID reader to continuously monitor the equipment once it arrives at their facilities and throughout its lifecycle.
"Escalating customer demand for automated tracking led to HP's development of this service," said Frank Lanza, worldwide RFID director in HP's Technology Solutions Group, in a statement.
When it comes to asset tracking, many manufacturers have found success with RFID. "RFID has already proven itself to be available for tracking assets," said John Fontanella, vice president of research at AMR Research in a statement. "This new service is key to strengthening operational precision in a data center and ultimately customers' ability to lower operational risks."