Where is the next Data Centre Game Changer?

The Data Centre market is in a blossoming stage of its short life, new Data Centres are springing up globally – not a day goes by, and we are told of a new facility opening somewhere in the world with its fresh new exterior.

It is welcoming to see that the reliability of Data Centres is improving as infrastructure products improve and costs have somewhat reduced due to competition in the market.

So, what has changed over the past decade with Service Provider Data Centres?

We know they are becoming bigger facilities and the client base is changing. 10 years ago, the vast majority of the Provider’s clients were user organisations who had moved their IT environment into the Data Centre as an option to building their own facility or wanted to have their IT close to the Internet. There were also the sprinkling of Managed Services and Cloud Service Providers, but they were an exception rather than the norm.

Today, the roles have changed, a major Data Centre build is almost an exception without a Cloud Services Provider or as we know them today Hyperscaler. There are still the user organisations and they have grown over the last 10 years as the option to have their IT built in an inhouse Data Centre just doesn’t make sense anymore.

One trend that has started is that the end user client’s usage has reduced in space size as the density of IT has increased with the average rack less than 2kw now approaching 5kw, and availability of more than 10kw racks as standard in most Data Centres.

But the standard build model of a Data Centre hasn’t changed in over 25 years. We still in the vast majority of cases blow chilled air through the IT equipment and extract the warmed air to cool and the cycle is started all over again. We all know that air is one of the poorest conductors for extracting heat. In the market more than 20 years ago we were already able to buy products that were cooled directly with water. So why have we not innovated to new and complementary forms of cooling?

I raised this question at a panel session several years ago in which one of the major chip manufacturers were one of the panelists (I have deliberately protected his identity). I put it to him that the key manufacturers were not collaborating on the development of standards for industry fluid based colling solutions that Data Centres could adopt and ensure that end users were able to utilise for their IT equipment regardless of manufacture. Needless to say, he was unable to respond.

So where do we go from here. Surprisingly we have an opportunity from the high-powered users that exist today in the shape of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

The Hyperscalers who continue to take up the best of the new Data Centre market can start the process of developing the next industry standards for hosting requirements that will aim to drive down costs by:

1.      collaborating for the benefit of the industry and aim to develop hosting cooling infrastructure standards that benefit all rather than just the few

2.      encouraging their equipment manufacturers to work with the Hyperscalers to contribute in the development of new product lines and standards that improve the efficiencies of cooling through use of better heat exchange conductors

3.      developing solutions with manufacturers that benefit the market, reduction of new product costs, ease of use and aligned to standards and contribute to the overall reduction of power required to maintain the device.

We will continue to attend the various conferences, webinars and seminars promoting the Data Centre industry, but in reality, I am waiting for the Game Changer, it’s time for action rather than a lot more ‘hot air’.

Here’s the challenge to the market leaders in the Data Centre, Hyperscalers and Equipment Manufacturers, the time for change is well overdue, there has to be a better way. It is time to plough some of that extra profit the market has made during the Pandemic into changing the way we service and cool our IT equipment in the Data Centre we have all been waiting too long for the next Game Changer.