Schneider Electric is piloting software-defined medium-voltage switchgear at an Equinix colocation facility. The system uses standardised hardware configured through software, which Schneider says could speed datacentre construction and let operators add capabilities through remote updates.

Medium-voltage switchgear bridges the grid connection and the lower-voltage supplies to server racks, and large, increasingly complex datacentre campuses can require extensive site-specific systems. Schneider claims its approach could make ordering and manufacturing up to three times faster and halve commissioning and acceptance-testing time. Remote software updates to safety-critical power equipment raise questions about security, testing and recovery; pilots continue through 2027, with wider availability planned for 2028.