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Microsoft’s ITPAC—short for IT Pre-Assembled Components—was a factory-built data-center module combining servers and air handling in a shippable unit. Rather than treating it as an ordinary freight container, Microsoft described it as an integrated IT and cooling system that could be installed inside a building or, with protective outer panels, placed outdoors.
What Microsoft’s ITPAC was
In a video covered by Data Center Knowledge on March 23, 2010, Microsoft showed the components and airflow design of its ITPAC units. The concept was to assemble much of a data center in a factory, ship the module to a site, and connect it as part of a larger facility. Multiple units could be linked as capacity was added.
Kevin Timmons, then Microsoft’s General Manager of Datacenter Services, explained the distinction: “We actually think of the ITPACs not as containers in a traditional sense but as integrated air-handling and IT units.” Microsoft later identified Saiver as the technology manufacturing partner.
How an ITPAC was cooled
The reported design used fans to create negative pressure inside the module. Ambient air entered through one side, flowed across the servers, and left through the opposite side. Some air could be recirculated to help even out temperatures. The approach relied on airflow rather than the conventional mechanical cooling equipment described in contemporary accounts.
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DatacenterDynamics reported a power usage effectiveness (PUE) range of 1.15–1.19 for the fan-cooled design, depending on outdoor air temperature. PUE compares total facility energy use with the energy used by IT equipment; the reported range is specific to the conditions stated, not a guarantee for every climate or installation.
How much capacity one ITPAC could provide
Timmons described a planned range of approximately 400 to 2,500 compute servers and 200 to 600 kilowatts per ITPAC, depending on the mix of compute and storage servers. These are the capacities he cited in 2010, not a current product specification.
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Where the modules could be installed
An ITPAC could be placed inside a large building. With protective outer panels, it could also sit outdoors. Linking multiple units made it possible to expand a site incrementally rather than construct all of its eventual capacity at once.
Microsoft’s UNEP material documents an ITPAC application for the energy-neutral Nairobi headquarters project. Microsoft’s solution overview identifies Saiver as the manufacturer, while a Microsoft sustainability article says fan-based cooling reduced reliance on conventional air-conditioning infrastructure and materials.
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ITPAC compared with conventional data-center construction
| Consideration | ITPAC approach | Conventional construction |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Factory-pre-assembled modules were intended to reduce on-site construction and scaling work. | Typically requires facility construction and integration work at the site. |
| Scaling | Capacity could be added by connecting additional modules. | Expansion may require additional facility construction; the exact approach varies by project. |
| Cooling | Fan-driven ambient-air flow, with possible recirculation to even temperatures; the reported design avoided mechanical cooling equipment. | Cooling method varies; conventional facilities may use mechanical cooling. |
| Energy efficiency | Contemporary reporting cited PUE of 1.15–1.19 depending on outdoor temperature. | No directly comparable figure is established here; actual PUE depends on design and operating conditions. |
| Siting | Could be installed indoors or, with protective panels, outdoors. | Normally built as a facility at its site. |
| Capital and operating cost | Not stated in the cited material. | Not stated in the cited material. |
Why Microsoft used a modular design
The central trade-off was standardization for speed and staged growth. Pre-assembling IT and air handling could reduce the work needed at the destination, while the modular footprint supported adding capacity as demand grew. Fan-based cooling also offered a way to reduce dependence on conventional air-conditioning equipment. The cited material does not establish a universal cost saving or show that the design suited every climate, server mix, or site.
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