Just to add some other questions/comments:
1. Servers are sometimes clustered rather than distributed. You mentioned at least 10 units and you have to count spares.
2. Mounting a "servo-controlled push button" may be an interesting feat in itself especially if you want no holes drilled. I'm envisioning a large strap with Velcro or something attached to a rack handle or some clampy gizmo. Minimize weight, If someone can order the parts and make the clamps overseas all the better for you.
As for an idea for a clampy thing, try two to 4 "Side Beam Connectors" I'm holding one in my hand right now for 3/8 all thread.
**broken link removed** It gives you two 1/4" holes for a flat head screw about 3/4" apart and a tapped 3/8" at a right angle. Let's say I'm looking at a typical desktop and not a rack mount server.
I could lay two say 6" long pieces of angle on each side with four rubber feet on each, two on each inside near the corner. The feet would provide clamping and clearance for an underside 1/4" nut and some protruding threads. For now, I'm using four total beam clamps, but you might be able to use just one. Drill out two of the clamps for a 3/8" clearance hole. Now put two 3/8 all threads between to clamp the system. So you have feet pressing on the top of the computer and the side of the computer being pulled together with two 3/8 pieces of all thread. One side uses a tapped hole and the other would use nuts.
Lets say in the simplest case, use large fiberglass angle like say 2" or so and lets say the power button is 2" from the edge. You may be able to use another beam clamp off the side to drop the holder of the "servo button". The 3/8 hole would give you adjust ability and use another nut for a lock.
This may be overkill, but it just gives a place to start. You might end up gluing something to the side. Counter sunk rivets are cool and I could even send you a some from my large box. I'd have to check the size, but I think they are 1/8 diameter.
Big magnets are also possible and so is a couple of holes in the case.
If your servers are rack mounted then that's an issue.
3) If they are clustered, then the controller may need more ports, but you may only need one that say could connect to eight buttons,
4. Metric vs English?
5. Watch power crap and CE approval or at least make sure there are no EMI issues. I hate power bricks and wall warts, but they really make the design easier.
6. Remember that it should be easy to revert to the original form if the tools are handy. So, the nuts could be replaced by wingnuts and possibly thumbscrews in certain locations.
7. And last but not least is that you will likely have to mimic the pressing of a button with another button of your own. It may have to do the same sort of push, hold and release from an external button.
8. Not sure if say MODBUS or even RS485 could be in your future as well. You may not get the luxury of one IP address or even multiple open ports. So, the IT department might forward one port to your device and if you have a few servers located say in a few rooms, you may have to use some other cableing/protocal to get there. They may not have a public IP address that they could dedicate to your gizmo.
9. Does VPN enter into this at all and does it matter?
10. You also need travel and force. Asa dumb example, the guy at the other side of the pond could take a sheet of paper and make a tube the side of the button and close and tape the bottom of the tube. Let's say this is 1 cm diameter, They could then fill it with a common item like say sugar until the switch activates. So, you could compute the force needed neglecting the mass of the paper and tape, although not sure if the technique would work, Some buttons might take 100 grams force to operate.
11. Way out of line is to make the actuator tip a force sensor and it would not be unreasonable to make it a spring. It would be a LOT easier, if you could do it internally with a switch. The switch may not have to be the "power switch".
I know once I needed to know the approximate force needed to pull a drape so I used canned vegetables as weights. fishing weights might work.
Just don't take what I said here as workable. It is nothing more than a "place to start". Sugar may not be heavy enough.
I can measure up to 200 g. If it were two people in the US, one could say, it took 20 quarters and 10 dimes to activate the switch. (gravity - I forgot that you would have to turn the computer so the button faces up to test, but it would not have to be on.
So, I just briefly addressed shipping large items, metric vs English, whether or not the mechanical stuff for mounting can be made and/or purchased by the other office. You could send one as a proto.
What it does mean is that someone should send you a picture with a ruler in it of the typical server boxes and mounting means. The ruler allows you to make measurements.
80/20 **broken link removed** is neat stuff, but it's expensive.
Right now, I have no idea what specific problem has to be solved, but just anticipated issues not knowing much at all.
except: computer, overseas and 10 or so. Shipping big or heavy things is expensive. So, if the mechanical stuff can be bought and made in-house overseas, then all the better. So, someone might need a drill, sander, vise, drill bit, etc and a source of parts.
3D printing of plastic parts if you have to do that could add yet another wrinkle. See:
https://www.shapeways.com/create
And when all else fails, read the directions:
https://www.mupuf.org/blog/2013/05/...-suite-to-power-up-slash-down-your-computers/