Schneider Electric unveiled what it calls the world’s first fully software-defined medium-voltage (MV) switchgear at the YOTTA 2026 conference in Las Vegas. The system is designed to help accelerate the deployment and expansion of AI-ready data center power infrastructure as energy demand grows. By separating system intelligence from hardware, the architecture aims to increase flexibility and speed commissioning.
The design replaces custom-engineered systems with standardized hardware platforms, which Schneider says can reduce ordering and manufacturing times. It also supports zero-downtime upgrades and new features delivered through over-the-air updates. Schneider has piloted the technology with data center company Equinix in a live operational environment. The company also introduced an extension to its SF₆-free switchgear line for higher-voltage data center architectures.