Experts Predict Demand for Data Centers Will Increase

by Stephanie Faris on Tuesday, March 28 12:00

The technology that will power future homes and offices in the coming years requires a reliable, high-speed connection. But as businesses expect instant access to volumes of data, consumers will be adding appliances, security systems, and voice-activated digital assistants to their home networks. All of this technology will require reliable, high-speed networks, even as traffic across those networks increases.

Bald Futurist's CEO, Steve Brown, recently spoke to Data Center Frontier about data center demand in the future. Brown previously worked in leadership with Intel, where he served as chief evangelist, futurist, and senior industry advisor. His insight into where technology is going can help professionals in the field prepare to meet the demands of a bandwidth-intensive future.

The Technology

The innovations that are taking over every part of consumer life consume a large chunk of network resources. The Internet of Things, virtual reality, and data analytics are all intensive processes that can be directly impacted by typical slowdowns. Many applications will utilize voice recognition, with answers processed intelligently to provide an answer closer to what a human would provide than a computer. Once every home and business begins using these technologies, the traffic could cause even bigger problems. The upcoming 5G wireless standard will only increase the amount of data traveling across networks at each hour of the day.

Brown points out some of the challenges that will come with all of this technology, including "dumb end points," which refers to the low-tech devices many consumers will be using. When they can connect to the cloud to access the solutions they need, it won't matter what capabilities the devices themselves have. Instead of downloading or installing software on their devices, this means they'll be going directly to the cloud server for everything, leading to a heavy reliance on remote servers, which will bring the dramatic uptick in demand Brown and other experts foresee.

Meeting the Demand

What does this mean for technology providers? Brown cites an enormous workload demand from data centers, which means that the technology community will need to prepare. The equipment, buildings, and support professionals will need to be in place to meet this demand, scaling to keep up as it continues to increase.

Brown predicts that these shifts will be seen across every industry, not just information technology. Every business will rely heavily on data to power every decision they make. Those who don't utilize data will find it impossible to remain competitive in the coming years. However, instead of seeing this as a difficult challenge, Brown believes it will be exciting for cloud service providers and data center operators, since the global marketplace will rely on their services for everything they do.

Technology is changing quickly, but the industry is always thinking ahead. Forecasting the future demand on data centers allows professionals to develop the equipment, software, and skills necessary to exceed customer expectations. Thanks to experts like Brown, providers don't have to guess at how the next decade will unfold for businesses and consumers. They have expert advice, coming from someone with years of experience in the field.