Intelligent Data Centres Issue 47 | Page 67

DEEP DIVE responsibilities means operations will run smoothly .
What do you think is the current hot talking point within the data centre space ?
Globally , the cost of energy is dominating conversations in regard to data centres . Data centres are huge consumers of energy , so the industry is feeling the impact of rising costs , with it even affecting the continuity of services in some cases . But this is also an opportunity for data centres to review and evolve how energy is managed and deployed .
Elsewhere , I would say there ’ s an important conversation around how data centres are moving away from being superstructures to more locally present . It is a significant shift away from supporting the needs of cities rather than countries . For example , current investment trends in subsea cables are driven by demand for high-quality connectivity itself due to the growing number of localised data centres . And in the Middle East we are uniquely equipped to deliver low-cost , highly scalable data centre availability .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
Sport is a big thing for me outside of work – when I am back in the UK , I run with my local London running club which I have been a part of for many years now . Even in the heat of the Middle East , I run long-distance several times a week . For me , it is a great activity to relieve stress , stimulate new thinking and see what is important . Music is a big part of my life too , having been part of a band in my youth , so running also offers me the opportunity to put my headphones in and catch up with my bass guitar roots .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
The major areas of investment in the industry at present are to do with providing fully integrated solutions for content application cloud providers , ensuring that customers enjoy the full potential of diverse and assured connectivity of services . Put simply , it is about working to deliver an end-to-end full package , with the integration of connectivity to data centres being a big part of this . That ’ s why establishing strategic relationships with data centres partners has been key for GBI .
In GBI ’ s case , it is assurance and diversity that we are investing in . For example , we announced we are diversifying the North Route of our subsea cable meshed Smart Network through Iraq . The North Route , which now also connects the Gulf to Europe through Iraq , will leverage a wider range of terrestrial networks established by GBI and our partners . By circumventing the Arab peninsula completely , it shortens latency significantly , providing that assurance and enhancing the resilience of Internet connectivity to and from the region .
What are the region-specific challenges you encounter in your role ?
Competitiveness in the industry is primarily driven by being able to offer the lowest possible latency . This relies on reducing the distance between the data centre and the end-user , which can present a unique challenge . It can be achieved either by routing subsea cables along the most direct path , or if there is an opportunity , by using a combination of subsea and terrestrial cables to establish a shorter path .
What ’ s more , to provide a competitive last-mile solution for customers wanting access to data centres , GBI has several strategic partnerships . For example , GBI are providing solutions to a world-recognised OTT provider and have partnered with MEEZA , the data centre service provider in Qatar as well as using Vodafone Qatar ’ s local network infrastructure to do so . At GBI , we want to offer fully hosted , end-to-end solutions and , with our partners , we can jointly invest in this end goal .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the coming months ?
Meeting growing user demands continues to shape the telecoms and data centre industries . There is a clear need for investment from a multitude of players to support the current ecosystem . The good news is , investment in the establishment of data centres and high-quality cables to guarantee sustained speed and quality is flourishing , but this needs to remain at a rapid pace .
At GBI , we are increasingly working with hyperscalers , cloud , content and gaming companies directly to provide services based on GBI-owned infrastructure and partner capabilities . So , beyond customers in the carrier business , we are developing important relationships with new players . To offer fully hosted , end-to-end connectivity solutions to all the customers we serve , providing service assurance through diversity and low-latency routes is of utmost importance . � www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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