In today’s world, energy efficiency is more than just a buzzword—it’s a crucial necessity. With growing concerns about climate change and the rising costs of energy, organizations are seeking innovative ways to reduce consumption, lower costs, and minimize their environmental impact. The demand for sustainable practices is no longer optional but a key driver of success and longevity for businesses of all sizes.

This is where QiO Technologies steps in, leading the charge toward a more energy-efficient future. As a company at the forefront of energy management, QiO is dedicated to reshaping how industries consume energy. Their intelligent, sustainable solutions cater to a broad range of sectors, from data centers to heavy industries. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge AI technology, QiO empowers organizations to boost operational performance, lower costs, reduce their carbon footprints, and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future for all.

At CIO Bulletin, we had the great privilege of interviewing Cameron Conn, Head of Engineering at QiO Technologies. He provided valuable insights into how his company, with years of expertise and a deep understanding of the challenges industries face, delivers solutions that not only optimize energy efficiency but also champion environmental stewardship.

Interview Highlights

What inspired the founding of QiO Technologies, and how did you identify the need for your innovative energy efficiency solutions?

QiO Technologies was initially founded to capitalize on the insights provided by the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced industrial systems. From the beginning, QiO focused on moving beyond simply observing data and sought to create actionable outcomes from it. As we collected more data, we recognized that many businesses struggled to take meaningful action. In 2020/2021, we identified a key area where these insights could have a tangible impact—energy optimization. We realized that with the vast amounts of data collected from industrial and data center operations, we could use AI to optimize energy consumption in real time. This realization spurred the development of our core energy efficiency solutions, allowing companies to achieve significant savings and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Can you give us an overview of QiO Technologies’ core products and services? How do they align with your mission of driving energy efficiency?

Our flagship product, ServerOptix, dynamically optimizes energy consumption in data centers by managing CPU power states, significantly reducing energy usage without affecting performance. In addition, we offer the Foresight platform, which leverages AI for predictive maintenance, asset optimization, and energy management, particularly for the industrial sector. These products align with our mission by enabling businesses to make real-time adjustments that reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and improve operational efficiency. Whether in data centers or industrial plants, our solutions ensure that businesses meet sustainability goals while maintaining peak operational performance.

QiO Technologies serves a wide range of industries from data centers to industrials. How do you tailor your solutions to meet the unique challenges of each sector while maintaining a consistent vision of energy efficiency?

Our solutions are built with modularity in mind, allowing us to tailor them to specific industries while adhering to our core principle of energy efficiency. For data centers, ServerOptix focuses on reducing energy consumption by optimizing CPU states in real-time. In contrast, our Foresight platform, designed for industries such as manufacturing, offers predictive maintenance and asset management features to address inefficiencies in operations. The flexibility of these solutions allows us to address the unique challenges faced by different sectors while still maintaining a consistent vision of reducing energy consumption and improving sustainability.

Your motto suggests that technology should be a force for good. How does QiO Technologies ensure that its solutions create both economic value and a positive environmental impact?

We believe that technology has the potential to drive both profitability and sustainability. Our solutions are designed to offer energy efficiency, which directly translates into cost savings for our clients. For example, ServerOptix helps data centers reduce energy usage by up to 45%, lowering operational costs while simultaneously cutting carbon emissions. Furthermore, our ESG dashboards provide real-time insights into a client’s environmental impact, allowing them to make informed decisions that contribute to their sustainability goals. By creating tools that align economic and environmental benefits, we ensure that our technology serves as a force for good.

How does QiO’s ServerOptix software transform these power- hungry giants into models of energy efficiency without compromising performance?

Data centers often operate at maximum power regardless of actual demand, leading to significant energy waste. ServerOptix addresses this by using real-time telemetry to optimize CPU power states based on current server utilization. During periods of low demand, ServerOptix dynamically reduces energy consumption by adjusting CPU power without compromising performance. When demand increases, the system can instantly scale back up to meet the required workload. Additionally, the software’s failsafe mode ensures that if workload variability becomes too high, it will hand control back to the host to prevent any risk of performance degradation.

You’ve partnered with global leaders like Rolls Royce and Forterra. How do these collaborations influence QiO’s innovation process, and what lessons have you learned from working with such industry titans?

Collaborating with industry leaders like Rolls Royce and Forterra has pushed us to continuously improve our solutions. Working with Rolls Royce taught us the importance of precision and reliability in mission-critical environments, leading us to focus on creating robust and scalable systems. Forterra, a major player in the construction materials sector, reinforced the value of energy optimization in industries where high energy costs are a significant concern. These collaborations have not only validated our solutions in real-world, high-demand environments but have also provided us with invaluable insights that help us refine our approach to energy efficiency.

QiO Technologies is known for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in energy efficiency. Can you share a specific instance where your team had to think “beyond the obvious” to solve a complex problem?

One of our most challenging projects involved reducing energy consumption in high-demand data centers without compromising performance. Traditional approaches to energy management didn’t work because the demand fluctuations were too unpredictable. Our team had to develop an advanced closed-loop control system that could adjust power settings dynamically based on real-time telemetry. By integrating AI-driven forecasting, we were able to anticipate demand and make the necessary adjustments to optimize energy use. This solution, which reduced energy consumption by up to 45%, showcased our ability to think beyond traditional methods to solve complex, real-world problems.

How does QiO Technologies envision its role in shaping a more sustainable world over the next decade? Are there any upcoming innovations you’re particularly excited about?

QiO sees itself as a key player in the global shift toward sustainable energy practices. Over the next decade, we plan to expand our portfolio, with a particular focus on renewable energy integration and grid optimization. One of the most exciting innovations on the horizon is the enhancement of our Foresight platform, which will soon include AI-driven predictive analytics for renewable energy systems. This will help industries integrate renewable energy sources like wind and solar into their operations more seamlessly, further reducing reliance on fossil fuels. We’re excited about the role our technologies will play in driving sustainable, energy-efficient practices across multiple sectors.

About | Cameron Conn

Cameron Conn, QiO Technologies’ Head of Engineering, Data Centers, brings an exceptional academic foundation to his role, holding a Master’s degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from Oxford University. His academic work focused on the practical application of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance real-world processes, which directly informs his contributions to QiO’s mission of driving energy efficiency in data centers.

At QiO, Cameron has been a driving force behind the development of ServerOptix, our award-winning energy optimization solution for data centers. His leadership was instrumental in earning the company the “Innovative Product of the Year” award at Data Centre World, a testament to his technical expertise and vision for transforming data centers into models of energy efficiency. His contributions have not gone unnoticed, as Cameron was ranked 2nd by Data Centre Magazine in their “Ones to Watch” under 30 category, reflecting his status as an emerging leader in the industry.

Beyond his technical achievements, Cameron is also a champion of innovation and ethical technology development. He actively promotes the integration of ethical considerations into the design and deployment of technological solutions. Cameron’s vision goes beyond improving business performance; he aims to foster environments that prioritize inclusivity and societal progress, making him not only a technical leader but also a visionary for the future of the industry.

Cameron Conn’s dedication to both technical excellence and social responsibility makes him a standout leader in the field of energy optimization and a critical asset to QiO’s mission of building a more sustainable future.

“We believe that technology has the potential to drive both profitability and sustainability. By creating tools that align economic and environmental benefits, we ensure that our technology serves as a force for good.”