WinCC V8 powers next-gen data center infrastructure

Combining Dipu's data center expertise with SIMATIC WinCC V8, the partnership enables infrastructure management at industrial scale. The result is a connected, resilient foundation for modern and AI-ready data centers.

Explore WinCC V8

From Siemens reseller to data center infrastructure pioneer

When Shanghai Dipu Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. was founded in 2003, the company started as a pure Siemens product distributor without a technical team. Today, Dipu operates one of the largest BMS engineering teams in China and has become a leading provider of building automation and control systems with a strategic focus on data center infrastructure.

The turning point came in 2012 with a major HVAC project for RT-Mart covering approximately 300 supermarkets. After undertaking and successfully delivering this project, Dipu established HVAC engineering capabilities and further specialized in building automation. Recognizing the explosive growth potential of the data center market, Dipu focused its expertise on this demanding sector. A decision that has proven to be exceptionally successful.

DIPUONE: A comprehensive data center management platform powered by WinCC V8

Dipu's solution for data center infrastructure is called DIPUONE, a comprehensive management platform that integrates building management (BMS), energy management (EMS), IT monitoring, environmental and security surveillance, and centralized visualization and alarming. At the core of this platform is Siemens WinCC V8, which serves as the foundation for collecting, visualizing, and forwarding operational technology (OT) data.

WinCC has been Dipu’s SCADA system of choice from the very beginning. The company used earlier WinCC versions before moving to the WinCC V8 generation and adopting WinCC 8.1 after its release in October 2024. Across the current WinCC V8 generation, Dipu has delivered approximately 10 projects, with about 20 more currently in deployment across China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

A group of men in matching black shirts posing and giving thumbs up in front of a large industrial construction site.

Industrial-scale infrastructure: Why data centers need SCADA systems

"Data centers are not just buildings – they are industrial facilities," explains Yi, Head of Marketing at Dipu. Each data center building managed by Dipu ranges from 24 MW to 96 MW in capacity, with 200,000 to 400,000 I/O points per building. The infrastructure includes power supply systems with battery storage and uninterruptible power supplies, redundant cooling systems, and comprehensive security technology, all operating 24/7 with the same reliability requirements as complex industrial plants.

Dipu's projects span multiple countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and China. With expansion into the USA and Finland already underway (equipment for Finland has been ordered), Dipu is building local engineering teams in Southeast Asia while maintaining approximately 80% of engineers from China during the transition phase.

60 – 70% faster implementation through WinCC evolution

The collaboration between Dipu and Siemens has yielded measurable efficiency gains. Dipu reports 60 – 70% time savings in implementation compared to earlier project phases as a result of the evolution of the cooperation and comprehensive personnel training.

While DIPUONE is customized for each customer's specific requirements, the platform maintains a core of reusable components, particularly dashboards and standardized workflows. This approach allows Dipu to position itself as a pioneer of innovative data center solutions while maintaining the flexibility each project demands.

From OT to IT: WinCC as a data bridge

Beyond traditional SCADA visualization and control, WinCC V8 plays a critical role in OT/IT integration for Dipu's customers. The platform doesn't just display current operational data in control rooms. It forwards collected data to higher-level IT systems of the end customer.

This is where WinCC unlocks its full value. As part of a specialized solution developed by Siemens together with and for Dipu, the system can seamlessly stream up to 40,000 data points per second to the customer’s higher-level IT systems via HTTP POST. WinCC serves not only as the control system but also as the data bridge between the operational technology (OT) layer and the IT layer. In data center environments, this integration is essential for comprehensive management and optimization.

Engineers in safety vests work on laptops and monitor system screens in a control room.

Preparing for the AI data center era

The market continues to evolve rapidly. “AI data centers will grow significantly over at least the next three years,” Yi confirms. The shift from traditional data centers to AI data centers (AIDC) brings new requirements: liquid cooling systems requiring significantly more I/O points, increased computing requirements demanding better performance, higher-capacity software capable of handling gigabit-level data volumes, and integration between CCTV and alarm systems for enhanced security.

Dipu has enlarged its engineering team to prepare for this growth and works closely with Siemens to optimize WinCC for evolving data center scenarios. The partnership focuses on addressing these technical challenges through continuous product development. At the same time, WinCC is embracing innovation and becoming AI-ready. The upcoming WinCC V8.2 will introduce AI-ready connectivity with MCP, enabling integration with advanced analytics and AI applications.

Standard workflow from bid to commissioning

Dipu’s proven project workflow illustrates how WinCC integrates into large-scale data center infrastructure projects. After winning a bid, Dipu equips the site with sensors, Siemens SIMATIC PLCs, servers, and Siemens SIMATIC HMI screens, then commissions and tests the complete system against data center requirements.

Siemens supports this workflow through pre and after-sales product assistance, collaboration on WinCC optimization for data center applications, and occasional participation in customer project kick-off meetings. For standard projects, however, regular Siemens involvement is not required which demonstrates both the maturity and reliability of WinCC as well as Dipu's deep technical expertise.

30 years of SCADA expertise meets modern infrastructure demands

WinCC celebrates 30 years of history as an established, large-scale SCADA system. The success story with Dipu demonstrates how this mature platform continues to prove its relevance in modern, trending projects: not just in traditional industrial plants, but in the cutting-edge infrastructure supporting the digital economy.

As data centers multiply across Asia and beyond, Dipu's partnership with Siemens WinCC V8 positions both companies at the forefront of an industry transformation. The combination of industrial-grade reliability, OT/IT integration capabilities, and scalable architecture makes WinCC V8 an ideal foundation for data center infrastructure management where every second of uptime matters and every data point counts.