New Data Center Trends in a Post-COVID World

COVID-19 has taken the world by storm and reshaped industries in an unprecedented manner. The Data Center industry is no exception. Since COVID moved the workplace largely from offices to people’s homes, the shift put a tremendous burden on the remote infrastructure, especially cloud. As we enter the new year, and vaccines are being introduced, we can all hope for things to go back to normal. However, expecting this new normal to be anything like things were in early 2020 can be, simply put, dangerous for your business. We take a closer look at 3 key trends that we believe will shape 2021 for the data center industry.

1. The On-Premise Vs Remote Debate

The debate between on-premise cloud and networking and remote cloud hosting isn’t new. What is new in today’s world is a few months of lockdown has shown us which one is more efficient. The companies which made claims about data security and data control in on-premise cloud systems have struggled greatly while the transition towards work-from-home for remotely hosted companies has been almost seamless. This has underscored the importance of remote, centralized data centers which are equipped to handle all types of data emergencies.

2. Automation is the Future

Automation was always going to be the future of computing but the pandemic has simply expedited the process. This expedition has highlighted the lack of trained personnel in the data center industry. Since the demand and growth for data centers have skyrocketed, especially in the last one year, the personnel hasn’t. Predictions are also being made that a whole generation of data center personnel will soon be retiring with not enough people to replace them. The simple answer to this whole situation is to move aggressively towards automation since ruptures in data centers simply cannot be afforded, be it the medical sector, research sector or the banking sector.

3. The Rise of Edge Computing

Edge computing is another leading trend in the Information Technology industry these days and by the looks of it, might hold the key to the future as well. Where on-premise cloud computing is being discouraged, edge-computing, where data is processed near the place where it is collected, is being encouraged. Edge-computing promotes smaller data centers spread all over the place. The reason why edge computing works and on-premise doesn’t, lies in the expertise and infrastructure that goes into creating these. Since data is processed at the fringes or edges of the network, the data centers get smaller and move away from the data hubs. Future data centers need to be able to adapt to this layout to be future-compatible.

The data centers that are able to correctly predict and adapt to the changing data needs of the post-pandemic world can truly prosper and be a part of the change. After all, the biggest challenge gives rise to the most dramatic transformation! At Hardy Racks, we understand the unique needs of data centers better than more. Speak to us today to see how we can add value to your data center too!