Vertiv, a global provider of data centre infrastructure, has completed the acquisition of Great Lakes Data Racks & Cabinets for approximately $200 million.
The transaction represents a strategic move to strengthen Vertiv ‘s position in the growing market for integrated server room solutions, particularly in the context of the increasing demand for computing power generated by artificial intelligence.
The acquisition of Great Lakes, a company with forty years of experience in the manufacture of server racks and enclosure solutions, is expected to directly address key technology challenges.
In an era of explosive growth in AI and high-density computing, the ability to rapidly deliver massively personalised and pre-configured systems is becoming crucial.
Great Lakes brings to Vertiv expertise in the design and manufacture of custom cabinets, including seismic-resistant designs and advanced cable management systems.
The combination of the two companies’ portfolios aims to simplify and speed up customers’ deployment processes. Instead of sourcing server racks separately and then integrating them with power and cooling systems, customers will have access to pre-integrated and tested solutions.
Such a model is expected to reduce the time it takes to deploy new infrastructure and increase its operational efficiency. This is particularly important in the edge computing segments and for AI applications, where scalability and speed of deployment are critical.
The digital infrastructure market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the expansion of cloud computing and the increasing energy requirements of AI systems.
The integration of Great Lakes’ offering with Vertiv’s global sales and service network expands the company’s ability to provide a one-stop shop for large, global customers, offering them unified technical support at every stage of a project – from design to maintenance.
The deal is part of a broader trend of consolidation in the market, where suppliers are looking to offer complete, integrated infrastructure packages rather than just individual components.
