D E E P D I V E surveyed professionals expect their levels of consumption to rise over the next three years further exacerbating the issue .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
During the season I play rugby most weekends . The sport conditions you to win and lose as a team and provides outstanding social opportunities in the widest sense . I have captained several sides at various levels over many seasons , and never get tired of pulling my boots on and giving my best . During the summer this country is blessed with some great things to see and do and I make the most of those opportunities . When all else fails nothing beats walking the dog followed by a good pub .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
The current political and social agenda around power provision is firmly focused on net zero and sustainability which is driving investment in these areas . Among our customers , there is evidence that the commitment to a move to source energy from renewable forms is strong . According to our latest Summer Report , over the next decade , 86 % of our respondents expect to see at least 90 % of their data centre energy usage to be sourced from renewable generation . Our industry is playing its role in the global quest for a responsible and sustainable energy future .
What are the region-specific challenges you encounter in your role ?
The identification and recruitment of talent into our business and the wider data centre consultancy arena is an everpresent challenge . At BCS , we are taking a long-term view and spending a lot of time developing promising young talent in-house in an environment where they can thrive and feel valued through initiatives like our graduate apprenticeship scheme . This does not always deal with the immediate challenges , of course , but is essential if we are to continue to be successful .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the coming months ?
My teams specialise in projects within existing and legacy data centres and other mission-critical sites which are increasingly vital as the backbone of our digital infrastructure . According to the International Data Corporation ( IDC ), the average data centre is nine years old , while Gartner stated that any site more than seven years old is obsolete . Other estimates suggest that of the stock of data centres spread throughout Europe around 60 % are more than 18 years old .
The problem is that these legacy facilities were designed during a period when the current technological advancements were not anticipated and will now struggle to cope with the escalating requirements of modern computing , such as higher data volumes , faster processing speeds and elevated IT power densities .
Upgrading and refreshing legacy sites is becoming noticeably more challenging and high ambient summer temperature events are bringing an increased focus on dealing with this challenge relatively quickly . No two assignments are the same , therefore , but time has become a commodity that there seems to be less and less of . �
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