Iceotope is a UK-based global leader in Precision Liquid Cooling technologies, which are designed to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of data centres for telco operators and enterprises worldwide. Today, data centres consume 3% of the world’s energy and billions of litres of fresh water annually. Without innovative solutions like Iceotope’s, these numbers will continue to rise, making sustainability a critical concern.

Francesca Cain-Watson is the Sales Director for the Americas at Iceotope Technologies. In her role, she leads a growing team whose purpose is to drive revenue growth, expand its market presence and foster innovation through strategic partnerships. 

“We are dedicated to delivering superior customer success with our revolutionary Precision Liquid Cooling technology, which enhances performance, boosts energy efficiency and promotes sustainability in data centres,” Francesca said. 

Iceotope’s Precision Liquid Cooling (PLC) is revolutionising data centre design, build, and operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and the US. By partnering with industry giants such as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and Intel, Iceotope delivers cooling solutions that reduce power consumption by up to 40% and water usage by up to 100% per kW of IT equipment.

Francesca gets to develop and execute strategic sales plans to identify new business opportunities and promote growth in existing markets. 

“I enjoy showcasing the incredible benefits of our Precision Liquid Cooling technology, which drastically cuts data centre energy and water consumption,” Francesca continues. “Plus, I get to align these benefits with our clients' financial and sustainability goals, making their operations more efficient and eco-friendly.”

Transforming digital infrastructure

Data centres enable enterprise organisation’s to address everyday challenges in how we live, work and play. They have become mission-critical infrastructure, which was exemplified during the pandemic with remote working, online education and telemedicine. The sector plays a critical role in how our modern society functions in a digital economy. 

“Also, data centres are at the forefront of scientific research, weather forecasting and climate modelling, helping us understand and address global issues like climate change,” Francesca continues. “The ability to contribute to such vital areas gives me a sense of purpose and fulfilment, knowing that our work has a meaningful and far-reaching impact.”

The sector's rapid evolution, especially with the rise of AI and high-performance computing, is incredibly exciting for her and the team. 

“The increasing thermal demands of advanced CPUs and GPUs mean that innovative cooling solutions, like the Precision Liquid Cooling technology we develop at Iceotope, are becoming indispensable,” Francesca adds. 

Iceotope specialises in Precision Liquid Cooling technology, which is designed to address the critical needs for efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. 

“Precision Liquid Cooling is the most straightforward and efficient cooling technology today, combining the best of both direct-to-chip and tank immersion cooling,” says Francesca. It delivers a small amount of dielectric coolant precisely targeted to remove heat from the hottest components of the server, ensuring maximum efficiency and reliability.”

This removes nearly 100% of the heat generated across the entire IT stack and reduces energy use by up to 40% and water consumption by up to 100%, offering unparalleled sustainability, significant cost savings and zero compromise on data centre performance.

“As AI drives unprecedented compute demands, liquid cooling is becoming essential for AI everywhere,” she continues. “Precision Liquid Cooling distinguishes itself among competitive technologies through its simplicity, efficiency and sustainability.”

By utilising Precision Liquid Cooling, data centres can enhance performance for AI workloads while significantly cutting carbon emissions and overall energy consumption. This technology provides exceptional thermal stability by precisely delivering dielectric fluid across the entire IT stack. Iceotope’s solutions offer remarkable flexibility in IT design, eliminating performance-slowing hotspots and the need for unnecessary cooling infrastructure.

But before all of that, Francesca is a team leader. To support her team, she focuses on their growth, development and success. 

“My approach to leadership is centred around leading by example, building trust and fostering a supportive and motivational environment,” Francesca says proudly. “I never ask anyone to do something I haven't done myself. I believe this helps me build trust and respect within the team, as they know I understand the challenges they face and am willing to roll up my sleeves alongside them.”

At Iceotope, Francesca is focused on creating an environment where team members feel valued and empowered. She aims to be their cheerleader, providing the resources they need to succeed and encouraging them to take on new challenges. This includes fostering a culture of continuous learning, particularly in areas like AI and other advanced technologies. 

“By staying abreast of industry developments and integrating these insights into our work, we can ensure that our team remains at the forefront of technological innovation,” Francesca continues. “By being approachable and open to feedback, I understand their needs and actively help them overcome any obstacles they encounter.”

Edge computing at Iceotope Technologies

Edge computing involves deploying servers and data storage at locations on the ‘edge’ of the network, closer to the user. For Francesca, it is an essential component for Iceotope’s operations.

Our Precision Liquid Cooling technology excels in edge environments where space is limited, temperatures are high, and there's exposure to dust and humidity. Traditional cooling methods struggle in these environments, but our sealed liquid cooling systems are impervious to these harsh conditions,” Francesca explains. 

One key benefit of Iceotope’s cooling solutions for edge computing is the reduced component failure rate - 30% lower than traditional methods, which is crucial for remote and hard-to-service edge locations, as it lowers maintenance costs and minimises downtime, ensuring continuous, reliable operations.

“Moreover, our solutions are highly scalable and energy-efficient, operating effectively with lower energy consumption,” add Francesca. “This efficiency is essential in edge scenarios where power availability can be limited.”

Sustainability is at the core of Iceotope's mission and operations. The team is committed to creating technologies that meet the high demands of data centre performance, as well as reducing environmental impact. 

“As mentioned, our Precision Liquid Cooling technology is designed to be highly energy-efficient, reducing energy consumption by up to 40% compared to traditional air-cooling methods,” Francesca explains. “Precision Liquid Cooling also eliminates the need for water consumption. This not only conserves a vital resource but also reduces the operational costs associated with water usage and treatment.”

Using sustainable materials and design principles in their products is also a core principle at Iceotope, this includes selecting materials with a lower environmental impact and designing its systems to be durable and long-lasting, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimising electronic waste.

“Beyond our own operations, we are dedicated to helping our customers achieve their sustainability objectives,” adds Francesca. “Our cooling solutions enable data centres to operate more efficiently and sustainably, supporting their efforts to meet environmental targets and improve overall sustainability performance.”

Iceotope is proud to collaborate with several key industry leaders to develop cutting-edge solutions for the data centre sector. Working closely with HPE, Iceotope has integrated its advanced liquid cooling technology into HPE’s server platforms, enhancing performance, density and energy efficiency beyond what traditional air-cooled systems can achieve. 

“Our partnership with Intel leverages their latest processor technology, known for its high performance and energy efficiency. By combining Intel's powerful processors with our PLC solutions, we can ensure optimal operating conditions, even under the most demanding workloads,” Francesca says. “This synergy enhances our cooling systems' efficiency and reliability, contributing to more sustainable data centre operations.”

nVent is another critical partner that has worked with Iceotope to develop custom enclosures that provide a secure and efficient way to house the liquid cooling systems and servers. 

“Their expertise in designing and manufacturing these enclosures ensures that our solutions are effective, scalable and adaptable to various data centre environments,” says Francesca. “In a recent development, we have teamed up with SK Telecom (SKT) and SK Enmove to design a new liquid cooling solution specifically for AI data centres. The project aims to demonstrate Precision Liquid Cooling’s value in cooling efficiency and power savings.”

Beyond these key partnerships, Iceotope continues to seek and develop relationships with other leading companies and organisations that share our commitment to sustainability and innovation. 

“By working together with industry leaders, we can create technologically advanced and environmentally responsible solutions, supporting a more sustainable future for data centres worldwide,” she adds. 

Over the next year, Iceotope will expand its market presence by entering new geographies and verticals, particularly those with a high demand for sustainable and efficient data centre solutions. The company will increase its footprint in the edge computing and telco spaces, where Iceotope’s scalable cooling solutions can offer significant benefits.

“Innovation remains at the core of Iceotope,” Francesca says. “Over the next year, we will invest heavily in research and development to enhance our existing technologies and create new solutions.”

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