Schneider Electric has introduced software-defined medium-voltage switchgear aimed at data centers, replacing custom-engineered hardware with standard modules that are configured through software, The Register reported Tuesday. The company unveiled the approach at its YOTTA 2026 event in Las Vegas and is piloting it at an Equinix colocation facility.

What Happened

Switchgear is the equipment that protects, controls and isolates electrical circuits. In a conventional data center build, medium-voltage switchgear is often engineered to order for a specific site, with its protection and control logic designed into the hardware. Schneider's approach moves protection, automation, metering, monitoring and control functions into programmable logic running on standardized equipment.

The system covers medium-voltage distribution between 1 kV and 36 kV. In data centers that typically means 13.8 kV, 34.5 kV or both, the tier that carries power from a high-voltage grid connection toward the lower voltages that feed server racks.

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Because the functions are defined in software, Schneider says new features and performance improvements can be delivered through over-the-air updates, without physical changes to the equipment or downtime. The company claims ordering and manufacturing can be up to three times faster than conventional switchgear, and that commissioning takes roughly half as long as for engineered-to-order gear. Those figures are Schneider's own and have not been independently verified.

The architecture will be rolled out across Schneider's PremSet and AirSeT switchgear ranges. An Equinix site is already running a pilot, further pilots will continue through 2027, and wider availability is targeted for 2028.

Why It Matters

AI campuses are driving demand for far more medium-voltage infrastructure. Gigawatt-scale sites need extensive distribution networks at this tier, and many now add on-site generation or energy storage, which makes each electrical design more complex. When every installation needs bespoke engineering, procurement and commissioning stretch out, and electrical equipment has been widely cited as one of the constraints on how fast new capacity can come online.

Standardizing the hardware and pushing site-specific behavior into configuration is intended to let manufacturers build ahead and let operators adjust protection settings as a site evolves, for example when storage or generation is added later. Frédéric Godemel, Schneider's executive vice president of energy management, framed the challenge for operators as needing power systems that are resilient, efficient and scalable, not simply keeping pace with AI growth.

Equinix's involvement matters because colocation providers build many sites to repeatable designs. Greg Metcalf, Equinix's senior director for global data center design and innovation, pointed to the benefits of standardization.

The Software Trade-Off

Moving protection logic into software raises questions that hardwired designs avoid. Over-the-air updates to safety-critical electrical equipment require strong change control and cybersecurity, since a faulty or malicious update could affect protection behavior. The Register's report did not detail how Schneider secures and validates updates, which operators are likely to examine closely during the pilots.

What to Watch

The pilot phase through 2027 will show whether Schneider's speed claims hold up on live sites and how utilities, inspectors and insurers treat software-configured protection. Adoption by other large operators beyond Equinix, and any similar moves by rival electrical equipment makers, will indicate whether software-defined switchgear becomes standard for AI builds by the 2028 target.