Data centres in 2021: what can we expect to see happening in the industry?
As the volume of technology deployed around the world surges, the amount of data generated keeps on growing, boosting the need for data processing and storage capacity. A Frost & Sullivan report projects that the global data centre market will raise $432.14 billion in investments by 2025. This is equivalent to the life sciences market - a sector much more established - and hints that the data centre market is truly one to watch. So, what are the latest development? Here’s what you can expect to see happening in the data centre market in 2021 and beyond:
The growing APAC data centre market
Data centres in the US have built a reputation for getting bigger, better and greener, but Frost & Sullivan’s report addresses the emerging data centre market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The research firm boldly states that by 2025, APAC will overtake North America to be crowned as the largest data centre market. This will make it the fastest growing data centre region, and the hike in demand is pinned to various sectors, including finance, e-commerce, social media and cloud computing.
These computer systems come in all shapes and sizes, housed in a range of locations, including undersea at offshore wind farms. Many areas in the APAC region, like Singapore, are faced with the challenge of limited space. The answer? Multi-story data centres. Singapore and other major cities in the area may soon see a skyline of skyscrapers and data centres become the norm.
Green data centres
In today’s climate, companies can no longer afford to approach sustainability as an afterthought. In 2019, data centres contributed to 1% of all electricity consumed globally. But with impressive growth rates projected, the market will continue to have a greater impact on the environment. The UN outlined 17 aims under their Sustainable Development Goals, and the data centre market impacts no less than five. The market will see innovative data centres differentiate themselves by building sustainability into their design and taking committed steps to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Colocation data centres
Data theft, and cyber attacks in general, are modern-day crimes on the radar of all tech firms. In 2020, IBM calculated that the average cost of a data breach amounted to $3.86 million, and though the US took the brunt of the blow, with APAC becoming a rising star, data threats are likely to spread across other regions. The growing concerns around cyber attacks has led many companies to weigh up the pros and cons of keeping their servers onsite or choosing a colocation data centre. Industry experts make the argument for keeping critical information stored in onsite cloud data centres as it gives them total control over their data and which users are permitted access to their systems.
However, research shows that 70% of firms who rely solely on onsite data centres have a roadmap to shift at least a portion of their data storage to a colocation facility. What these companies gain from migrating their data is better network connectivity, superior cloud computing solutions, and access to technical support.
An evolving data centre workforce
Covid-19 has had a lasting impact on data centres around the world. The months following the outbreak have brought an increased reliance on cloud computing and, in turn, skilled professionals who can service cloud data centres. Cloud services have fuelled the working from home revolution, creating new opportunities for web developers, data analysts, data centre architects, and the wider data centre workforce. Uptime Institute’s Global Data Centre Staffing Forecast predicts that demand for these professionals will grow to 2.3 million by 2025, and beyond that, there's no telling where the opportunities will end.
Find your next job in the booming data centre market
It’s an exciting time to be working in the data centre market. There are no signs that growth is slowing down anytime soon, and job opportunities are ripe for the picking. While Covid-19 delivered a devastating blow for some industries, data centres have proved they are the future, and more skilled professionals are needed to meet the rising demand. Start the search for your next data centre job with QCS Staffing and join the market at a pivotal moment.
Can’t find the job you’re looking for? Contact us and one of our specialist data centre consultants will be in touch.