There will be more than 600 hyperscale data centres worldwide by 2020, which could have a beneficial impact on the cloud market, according to Rittal. Artificial intelligence will grow in acceptance and there will be a greater focus on energy efficient technology.
Rittal has issued predictions for the data centre sector as the industry moves towards greater AI-based monitoring capabilities and the processing of data in real time with edge computing. Hyperscale data centres will drive the cloud market and streamlined cooling technologies will boost energy efficiency in data centres.
Meanwhile, Nordic countries are continuing to offer attractive locations for cloud-based data centre facilities for those looking to cut costs.
The top five key trends that data centre operators need to watch for are as follows:
Trend 1: Data centres will acquire greater AI-based monitoring capabilities
According to the IDC, by 2022, half the components within large data centres will include integrated AI functions and therefore be operating autonomously. Essentially this means that administrators will be reliant on predictive analytics and machine learning – designed to provide predictive fault forecasts and support optimised load balancing – to ensure maximum reliability of their data centres.
Trend 2: Processing the flood of data in real time with edge computing
We are on the cusp of the roll-out of the 5G mobile communications network. With the many transmission masts, this means that the mobile communications infrastructure will have to be expanded through edge data centres.
It will also increase the amount of data that network operators and other companies have to process. CB Insights forecasts that every user will generate an average of 1.5GB of data per day with an internet-enabled device by 2020.
Decentralising IT infrastructure through edge data centres means data can be processed at source, leading to low latency and enabling real-time applications for the control of industrial robots or autonomous vehicle systems. Edge data centres are connected to the cloud to deliver additional data analysis.
Essentially, businesses now need to examine how to expand their IT capacities flexibly over the next couple of years and how to evaluate edge concepts with this in mind.
The general trend towards standardisation is another key factor in achieving the fast deployment time and scalability that the market is demanding from data centres.
Trend 3: The cloud market will benefit from hyperscale data centres
Acceptance of the cloud continues to grow, and is particularly prevalent across mechanical and plant engineering. At the same time, investments in hyperscale data centres are increasing globally, an indication of the further spread of the cloud as an operating model.
Researchers at Synergy Reach expect that there will be more than 600 hyperscale data centres worldwide by 2020 – currently, the number stands at approximately 450.
This is why Rittal recommends that IT managers now consider how to balance their on-site edge (or core) data centre and cloud resources, to optimally support application hosting and high availability in line with their corporate strategy.
Trend 4: Optimised technologies will increase energy efficiency
Alongside high availability, energy efficiency is seen as the second most important management issue when it comes to operating a data centre.
The energy efficiency of new data centres has improved by roughly 60% in the past decade according to think tank, the Borderstep Institute. At the same time, however, energy requirements have continued to rise as IT capacities have grown. For data centre managers, optimising the energy usage of their entire data centre should be the number one priority in the coming year. Hybrid cooling units that integrate free cooling with refrigerant-based cooling are one example of new approaches to cost optimisation.
Trend 5: the nordic countries’ locations will help to cut costs
The Nordic region has become an attractive location for cloud and co-location providers. Countries such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden offer renewable energy sources, a climate favourable to data centres, very good internet connections and a high level of political and economic stability.
Analysts expect the turnover of data centres in the region to grow by 8% per year until 2023. One famous example is Norway’s Lefdal Mine Datacentre (LMD), with which Rittal is a strategic and technological partner.
LMD sources its electrical power entirely from renewables while the cooling system uses local sea water. As a result, the facility achieves a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15 and operating costs for customers are low.
“Alongside the trend toward greater standardisation, we will see companies expanding their IT infrastructure in a more decentralised way in 2019. This will support the digital initiatives that now form an integral part of a successful corporate strategy.
“One way of doing this is through edge data centres, which can be put into operation very quickly and on the company’s premises as IT containers for instance, and which thus support the digital transformation in all branches of industry.
“Rittal is offering an array of solutions for edge infrastructures, ranging from rack solutions to turnkey IT containers with cloud connections,” says Andreas Keiger, executive vice president, Rittal Global Business Unit IT.
