iButtonLink has announced a joint development agreement and a technology license agreement with IBM for the development of data center environmental monitoring, corrosion sensing, and low-power wireless sensor technology.

IBM Research brings years of experience in data center environmental monitoring utilizing computational fluid dynamics to provide innovative visualization using fewer sensors, demonstrating real-time corrosion sensing, and developing low-power wireless technology. The combination of IBM Research innovation and iButtonLink sensor expertise yields a robust data center environmental monitoring solution that pushes the boundaries of science, technology, and business to make the world work better.

iButtonLink has developed customized sensor solutions since 2002 and has worked with IBM through its Research organization since 2008 on collaborative initiatives with a common goal: progress. As a result of the development and license agreements, iButtonLink and IBM continue to collaborate to develop data center monitoring, corrosion monitoring, and low-power mote technologies to be manufactured by iButtonLink.

“By joining forces with these agreements and making the best use of the technological advantages and resources from both companies, we have created a high performance technology yielding breakthroughs that will create cost savings and efficiencies in the environmental monitoring and sensor industries”, said Rob Olson, CEO of iButtonLink. “The full solution has the potential to transform how data center managers view and react to their environment.”

“These technologies are deployed in a large number of the IBM strategic data centers, which helped reduce energy use by 53,400 MWh in 2013 – the equivalent of powering 5000 U.S. homes.¹ Data center environmental monitoring contributes significantly to energy savings at IBM and with this agreement we are taking this technology to a wider arena,” said Supratik Guha, director of Physical Sciences at IBM Research.

"Data centers continue to expand both in number and size. Demand for, and the cost of, energy will continue to increase a in a global economy built on a technological foundation. While we still have much to learn from our management and monitoring technology and sensor research, the promise and potential is apparent," Olson said.

Wired and wireless environmental monitoring and corrosion sensing solutions are available now. Contact the iButtonLink sales team at sales@ibuttonlink.com or your IBM Sales Representative to develop a customized solution for data center environmental and corrosion monitoring.

1.      2013 IBM and the Environment Report, Page 17, http://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/annual/IBMEnvReport_2013.pdf