THE NUMBER OF DATA CENTRES IS INCOMPARABLE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE WORLD . AS OF SEPTEMBER 2023 , 5,375 DATA CENTRES WERE REPORTED IN THE US – THE MOST OF ANY COUNTRY WORLDWIDE – WITH GERMANY COMING IN AT A DISTANT SECOND WITH 522 DATA CENTRES , FOLLOWED BY 517 IN THE UK .
F E A T U R E
Bay , Wisconsin , with its close proximity to Chicago , a Tier 1 market , is a prime target for data centre expansion to support the rapidly growing needs and performance requirements of high-tech industries , particularly manufacturing .
Another way to optimise PUE is to invest in renewable energy , such as wind , solar and geothermal . According to Uptime Institute , renewable energy currently accounts for just 23 % of the total power consumed by data centres worldwide . This indicates significant potential for further growth and utilisation of renewable energy sources within the industry .
Mitigating costly cyberattacks In addition to keeping sustainability top of mind , to remain resilient , North American data centre operators must make cybersecurity the top priority . From sensitive healthcare data to private financial information , enterprise data centre security plans need to be ironclad . To keep critical data secure , enterprises and data centres – if they haven ’ t already – will need to embrace the adoption of Zero Trust security models , Multi-Factorand Biometric-Authentication solutions and data backups .
Additionally , more enterprises will look to leverage the expertise of managed cybersecurity providers to implement
“ robust employee training , Disaster Recovery and compliance requirements . Certifications like HI TRUST and NIST are often too cumbersome for many enterprises to handle internally , so partnering with a knowledgeable data centre operator who understands complex regulatory requirements will be critical .
There will also be a need for expanded and improved managed security services . Around-the-clock monitoring and analysis of the security posture for enterprises will require a combination of supported security toolsets , incident response and operational processes to keep missioncritical assets secure .
Leveraging highly sought-after secondary markets
Opportunities for data centre growth and success also hinge on location . The uptick in enterprise colocation and Edge , spurred by AI , cloud-native applications , IoT and other latency-sensitive applications , is drawing more attention to Tier 2 markets , particularly in the US . For example , Green
THE NUMBER OF DATA CENTRES IS INCOMPARABLE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE WORLD . AS OF SEPTEMBER 2023 , 5,375 DATA CENTRES WERE REPORTED IN THE US – THE MOST OF ANY COUNTRY WORLDWIDE – WITH GERMANY COMING IN AT A DISTANT SECOND WITH 522 DATA CENTRES , FOLLOWED BY 517 IN THE UK .
Energy-efficient data centres in Tier 2 markets can also bring robust , redundant fibre infrastructure to surrounding areas , driving more connectivity locally and regionally . The expansion into secondary markets will continue to become more essential as data processing power will be needed close to the point of use to support AI and IoT while still having access to Tier 1 markets . Internet Exchanges ( IX ) within secondary markets is also on the rise as they offer several benefits , including improved local connectivity and collaboration and greater network redundancy and resilience .
Investing in employee upskilling and training
Empowering the next generation and upskilling current employees are important ways to contribute to the holistic success of the industry and build a future-focused , tech-driven culture . Data centres that invest in social causes , such as STEM education , are better able to strengthen bonds within the technology community and create a positive impact within the industry . Upskilling current talent is also essential to ensure the data centre workforce remains adaptable and innovative . When data centre providers invest in their employees , it leads to overall success and carries over into improving the customer experience for their clients .
Rising to the challenge to drive further growth
As the relentless surge for heightened connectivity and High-Performance Computing sweeps across North America , data centres have an immense opportunity to drive further innovation and growth . Standing as essential hubs of connectivity , data centres will be the key to powering our data-driven world efficiently and effectively . If they can rise to the challenge of providing digital infrastructure and data centre solutions that are future-focused , sustainable , efficient and secure , the horizon will be brimming with boundless possibilities . �
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