Vertiv survey on data centers contemplates a tripling of sites at the edge of the network by 2025
The updated forecast provides for growth at the edge of the network and a hurried talent flight
Santo Domingo, August 2019.- Five years ago, Vertiv carried out a global assessment at the industry level of the data center of the future: “The data center of 2025: Exploring the Possibilities,” which amplified the imagination of more than 800 professionals in the industry and introduced a collaborative vision for the next-generation data center.
Today, Vertiv published a mid-point update: “The 2025 data center: Closer to the Edge,” which reveals the fundamental changes in the industry that were poorly recorded in the forecasts five years ago.
Migration to the edge of the network is changing the way the data center conceives industry leaders. These face a broad ecosystem of data centers, which comprises many types of facilities, and increasingly rely on the edge of the network.
Of the participants who currently have sites on the edge of the network or who expect to have sites on the edge of the network by 2025, more than half (53%) expect the number of sites on the edge of the network that these they support grow at least 100% and 20% expect an increase of 400% or more.
Together, survey participants expect the total number of computer sites at the edge of the network to grow 226% between now and 2025.
During the original investigation conducted in 2014, the edge of the network was recognized as a growing trend but was only mentioned 4 times in the 19-page report. Industry attention at that time was firmly focused on hybrid architectures that leveraged business, cloud and co-location resources.
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Even in an industry that moves and changes routinely at the speed of light, the growth of the edge of the network and the strong impact it will have on the data center are surprising.
“The study shows the relevance of computing at the edge of the network in the technology sector, in response to the challenges of data processing closer to the point of use,” said Fernando Garcia, vice president of Vertiv, America Latin. “For more devices to be connected and more data production, more infrastructure is required serving the edge of the network.”
More than 800 data center professionals participated in the survey. Among the most important results are the following:
- Participants are not as optimistic as they were in 2014 regarding the prospects for solar and wind energy in the data center. At that time, they anticipated that by 2025, 34% of the data center’s energy would come from those sources. Today, the expectation is 21%. Although he remains optimistic, he is aware of the ambitious timeline.
- Globally, 16% of participants expect to be retired by 2025, which aggravates an already problematic talent shortage. In the US, that number is an alarming 33%.
The full results of the survey are available in the report “The data center of 2025: Closer to the Edge of the Network”. The original report and additional analysis of the results are available at Vertiv.com
About Vertiv
Vertiv offers continuous hardware, software, analysis and services to ensure that the vital applications of its customers have interrupted operation, optimal performance, and growth according to the needs of your business.
Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today’s data centers, communications networks, and industrial and commercial facilities, through a portfolio of IT infrastructure, cooling, and power infrastructure solutions and services, which It extends from the cloud to the edge of the network. With its headquarters located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. In the USA, Vertiv employs about 20,000 workers and carries out its activities in more than 130 countries.
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