Vertiv is continuing to invest in the African continent, with the opening of a new Nigerian office and customer showroom in Lagos.
The new local facility will provide Nigerian customers and partners with first-hand experience of a range of Vertiv thermal management, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, and integrated cabinet solutions under real field conditions and in real time, supported by expert engineering specialists.
These include, amongst others, the Vertiv SmartCabinet, a pre-configured, self-contained infrastructure solution that offers efficiency, economy, interoperability, and control; and the Vertiv Liebert EXS UPS, an optimised three-phase, high efficiency power protection system with integrated internal battery, maintenance bypass and optional receptacle distribution in a single package.
The customer showroom also features a virtual reality (VR) experience for visitors. Here, visitors using a VR headset and hand controllers are transported to a virtual environment where they can interact with equipment, watch animations that demonstrate how to maximise space and efficiencies within Vertiv products, and examine the spatial placement of Vertiv’s rack and row solutions, as though the equipment is actually on site.
Additionally, the new centre will provide presales, sales and product training, as well as full-service certification courses for Vertiv’s authorised service partner network.
According to infrastructure private equity manager African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), the continent’s journey to digitalisation is being driven by fast-growing internet penetration rates and a booming cloud services market, with data centres, fibre optic broadband expansion and telecom towers set to become the new backbone of the African economy.
Wojtek Piorko, MD of Vertiv Africa, comments: “Africa’s growing digital economy must be supported by a robust data centre infrastructure in order to thrive. Vertiv is well positioned to provide the foundational digital infrastructure needed for local telecommunication networks and commercial facilities to help drive digital transformation.
“Our new Nigerian office and customer showroom will allow Vertiv to place greater strategic focus on operations within the country as well as the broader Central African region, with a strong emphasis on the telecommunications and colocation sectors,” he adds. “We foresee exciting times ahead for Vertiv in Africa and will continue to work on developing our local team, expanding our network of authorised partners and service providers, and meeting the changing needs of our African clients.”
The Lagos office is a key part of Vertiv’s ongoing investment in Africa, following a similar facility established in Nairobi in 2022 and, more recently, the formal opening of the African headquarters in Johannesburg earlier this year.