“The data center industry is changing and growing at a striking pace. Large build-outs are causing supply-chain strains and skill shortages, while innovations in networking, power, and resiliency are creating new opportunities, but creating challenges as well. Overall performance, service availability, and security are top concerns for operators, and these are compounded by the increasing interdependencies and complexity across ecosystems. Strategies to balance risk mitigation against cost controls are key.
What changes should data center owners, managers, and operators expect? Which innovations will make a difference? Where are problems and challenges likely to emerge? Let’s take a look… “
So reads the introduction to a December 2018 report from Uptime Institute, a Seattle, WA-based advisory organization that administers a global standard for the proper design, build, and operation of data centers. For data center facility managers and IT professionals, analysts at the organization have identified 10 key areas worth watching in 2019. These 2019 data center trends will be a focus for Uptime Institute Research in the coming year.
- Big Cloud builds push the ecosystem to its limits.
- Worried governments step up oversight and regulation.
- The transition to distributed resiliency will not be smooth.
- Edge data center hype outruns deployment.
- Connectivity is king: Operators work to build the fabric.
- Skills shortage will force new strategies.
- Climate change forces fresh review of resiliency planning.
- Economics will drive acceptance of data center AI – eventually.
- Growing threats will necessitate new “zero trust” approaches.
- Programmable power unlocks new efficiencies, agility.
“Data center complexity is growing, as are talent shortages, security threats, government oversight, and the effects of climate change,” says Rhonda Ascierto, vice president research with Uptime Institute. “These are all areas that we advise data center owners and operators watch closely.”
The Uptime Institute report on 2019 Data Center Industry Trends is available for free download at this link. The report offers expanded commentary on the 10 issues listed above.
