John Hunt, Senior Market Adviser for the Construction Sector at Enterprise Ireland, describes the top trends that will shape the data center sector in 2018.

In an ever-evolving digital world, rapid technological change is driving data center growth, as well as creating facilities that are larger, denser, and more scalable and converged than ever before. According to a new Enterprise Ireland white paper, produced in conjunction with Data Centre Dynamics Group, the population’s insatiable appetite for secure, connected, mobile information has led to the evolution of ‘hyper-scale facilities’, which have important implications for data center procurement, design and construction.

Ireland is at the forefront of change in this area, having quickly established itself as one of the world’s most influential data center hubs. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, HP and Dell EMC all acknowledge Ireland’s expertise, innovation and capabilities to deliver complex data center solutions, giving Ireland an increasingly competitive edge.

Emerging trends to watch out for in 2018 include:

1)   The growing importance of data

As cloud-based technologies, the Internet of Things and 5G continue to drive demand, ‘digital twinning’ between the real and cyber world will grow. This will facilitate the development of smart communities, towns and cities, highlighting an increase in the value of data and demand for larger data facilities.

2)   Parallels and connections between hyper-scale facilities and smaller data centers

While advancements in cloud-based technologies are the driving forces behind the new data center era, there are connections and learnings between hyper-scale and smaller facilities. Make sure you capitalize on these parallels for maximum impact.

3)   The rise of edge computing

Build sector companies should ensure they are prepared for a new era of digital transformation and edge computing which are rapidly gaining momentum.

4)   Future-proof facilities

For enterprise companies looking to move from in-house data centers provided externally and juggling outsourcing options, it is important to implement processes to better manage data center facilities.