E D I T O R ' S Q U E S T I O N
This boom in Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) and Machine Learning ( ML ), coupled with continued growth in cloud and enterprise workloads , is causing a re-evaluation of data centre construction strategies because of the additional amounts of compute power required . If AI is to reach its potential , various challenges need to be overcome . These include managing sustainable power at scale and implementing designs that support rapid and scalable AI deployments , whilst aligning with values that benefit the data centre provider , the customer and wider societal responsibilities .
Many current European data centres simply cannot meet the short-term demands of AI due to a shortage of infrastructure that can support HPC workloads and some central metropolitan areas being power-constrained . Ideally , new facilities should be built at scale , located close to , but not necessarily in a major European metropolitan city ( AI / ML workloads are often less latency sensitive ) and supplied with renewable energy . As a result , data centre providers are looking to build AI-ready facilities , redefining scalability with the strategic development of AI-ready megascale campuses which are likely to have a capacity of 200 – 500MW .
Sustainability continues to be a key factor and there needs to be a balance between making facilities green without compromising operations and reliability , whilst enabling AI to reach its potential .
Beyond the megascale campuses , the role of Edge Computing remains important . As companies adopt AI / ML strategies , the demand for Edge solutions becomes more pronounced . A fully integrated AI solution requires connectivity to all aspects of a business ’ s systems . While core language models and inference models may reside in megascale campuses , there is an ongoing need for Edge solutions in metropolitan cities , ensuring full integration .
VIRTUS is currently embarking on pan-European growth . We are already building a 260MW campus in Berlin , whilst we continue to explore the construction of large-scale campuses in other European locations .
It is important to attract and retain highquality operational staff to these new locations , which can be a challenge in a ( sometimes considered ) niche technical environment , which historically hasn ’ t been at the forefront of promoting itself as a career option to those outside of the sector . Many other industries have individuals whose skillsets could be easily adapted to the data centre industry , so the industry must promote itself as a dynamic and growth environment to attract talent .
DAVID WATKINS , SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR , VIRTUS DATA CENTRES
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