Salute has unveiled the data centre industry’s first comprehensive service for Direct-to-Chip (DTC) liquid operations at NVIDIA GTC in Washington, DC. This strategic launch positions Salute as a pivotal partner for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. Notable data centre operators, such as Applied Digital, Compass Data Centres, and SDC, have already selected Salute to spearhead their DTC liquid operations, integrating Salute’s operational model as a core element of their AI service delivery.
In AI and HPC data centres, power densities significantly exceed those in traditional enterprise and cloud environments. Direct-to-Chip liquid cooling is essential for managing the heat rejection of high-density GPUs and servers. However, this cooling method carries inherent risks that could jeopardise the substantial investments data centre operators and their clients make in AI infrastructure. Any interruption in liquid cooling can cause temperature surges, resulting in potential equipment damage. Leaks in cooling systems pose further risks, leading to equipment failures and safety hazards from the interaction of liquids and electricity. Downtime incidents incur considerable costs, impacting revenue and service level agreements.
“Salute has achieved a long list of industry firsts that have made us an indispensable partner for 80 per cent of companies in the data centre industry. This first-of-its-kind DTC liquid cooling service is a major new milestone for our industry that solves complex operational challenges for every company making major investments in AI/HPC,” stated Erich Sanchack, CEO at Salute.
Salute’s service addresses the challenges of DTC liquid cooling, enabling data centres to achieve operational excellence. The service includes a detailed design and operational assessment tailored to each facility, commissioning support to optimise systems, and an extensive library of best practices updated through collaborations with NVIDIA and other industry leaders. Furthermore, Salute offers a robust training programme for operations staff specialising in DTC liquid cooling systems, alongside scalable operational solutions to expand AI/HPC environments efficiently.
“This service has already proven to be a game changer for the many data centre service providers who partnered with us as early adopters,” said John Shultz, Chief Product Officer at Salute. “By successfully mitigating the risks of DTC liquid cooling, Salute is enabling these companies to rapidly expand their AI/HPC operations to meet customer demand. These companies will rely on this service from Salute to support an estimated 260 MW of data centre capacity in the coming months and will expand that to an estimated 3300 MW of additional data centre capacity by the end of 2027.”
Applied Digital’s COO, Laura Laltrello, remarked, “High-density environments that utilise liquid cooling require an entirely new operational model, which is why we partnered with Salute to implement operational methodologies customised for our facilities and our customers’ needs.”
Sudhir Kalra, Chief Data Centre Operations Officer at Compass Data Centres, commented, “Salute’s new services for direct-to-chip liquid cooling operations are another powerful example of how they translate innovation into action.”
Walter Wang, Founder at SDC, added, “Salute is making it possible for SDC’s customers to accelerate AI deployments with zero downtime, thanks to the proven operational model, real-world training, and other best practices.”
Salute’s new service is expected to support a substantial increase in data centre capacity, with projections indicating a rise to 3300 MW by the end of 2027. This expansion underscores Salute’s role in facilitating the global scale of AI operations.
