Rittal receives 2012 Merlin Award for product innovation from German-American Chamber of Commerce

URBANA, Ohio, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rittal Corporation and its latest Liquid Cooling Package (LCP) has been honored with the 2012 Most Innovative Product award from the German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest.

During recent ceremonies in Chicago, the Chamber's Chairman, W. David Braun, pointed out that, "Rittal's Liquid Cooling Package is recognized as a 'green' solution to the cooling requirements of today's high-density IT server environments. Introducing its original model in 2004, the newest version was released in October, 2011, landing Rittal at the forefront of the data center cooling market."

Rittal's innovative product removes heat directly from IT equipment, in contrast to traditional methods used for the last 20 years. The new LCP, a space-saving 12 inches wide, is capable of removing enough heat from a data center rack to cool four average-sized homes. The new products also enable the use of outside air as "free cooling," which can reduce a data center's energy requirement by as much as 40 percent.

The Liquid Cooling Package allows Rittal, through its system approach, to provide seamless solutions to its customers' data center requirements in a wide array of markets, including the fields of education, medical care, government and finance. 

The demand for efficient, "green" products addressing these needs is vital. According to a Stanford University study, data centers use 3 percent of the total energy used in the United States and the IT industry's CO2 footprint is equal to that of the aviation industry – and emissions from IT represents the fastest growing sector in the country.

While accepting the award, Rittal Corporation President Douglas Peterson told the gathering Rittal has been promoting German-American trade for decades, with more and more fervor since opening its doors in Central Ohio in 1982.  "We've blended hard work and a combination of American and German know-how to bring us to this point."

"Today, business is all about efficiency, performance, ROI and being environmentally friendly, and our products earn high marks in each category," he concluded.

About the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest:
Founded in 1963, the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest's (GACCoM) mission is to further, promote and assist in the expansion of bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States. GACCoM is part of the German American Chamber network with offices located in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. We are an integral part of the network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK) with 120 offices in 80 countries around the globe.

About Rittal Corporation
The Rittal Corporation, Urbana, Ohio, is the U.S. subsidiary of Rittal GmbH & Co. KG and manufactures the world's leading industrial and IT enclosures, racks and accessories, including climate control and power management systems for industrial, data center, outdoor and hybrid applications. Rittal's off-the-shelf standard, modified standard and custom-engineered products are recognized throughout the world as innovative, high quality solutions for practically any industrial or IT infrastructure application — from single enclosures to comprehensive, mission critical systems.

SOURCE Rittal Corporation