Uncovering the depths of data centers
On International Data Center Day 2023, our global technology market sector lead Mario Sawaya shares his insights into the state of the data center industry and the skills needed to succeed in this growing market. In this blog, Mario tackles the impact of subsea fiber cables on emerging markets, the skills shortage in the industry, and the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
How are you seeing the rollout of subsea fiber cables impacting data center growth and what are the opportunities they’re bringing for emerging markets?
Subsea fiber cables are the backbone of the global digital infrastructure ecosystem, providing connectivity between continents of terrestrial infrastructure. There’s a tremendous amount of subsea fiber activity happening right now. With many new systems coming online, there is a significant impact on emerging markets all over the globe, particularly in Africa. We’ve long been supporting the 2Africa project. This ring of fiber encircles the African continent and will provide significant connectivity benefits if there is sufficient terrestrial fiber infrastructure to connect to it. The data centers that connect to this new fiber ring will have a huge impact on helping to bridge the digital divide.
The skills shortage is one of the big challenges the industry is facing. What are the types of skills that are in demand? What are the types of roles people can work in and why should people consider choosing a career/role in data center design and development?
It is true that there is a serious shortage of skills in the data center industry due to the sustained and growing demand for these facilities over the past decade. Despite an increase in skilled professionals, the demand for data centers only continues to grow due to factors such as the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the increased demand for high bandwidth, the move from private storage to the cloud, and the generation of more corporate and personal data. Therefore, investing in developing skills in areas such as the mechanical and electrical design of data centers, IT and security design, cost management, construction, and program management for data centers is a safe bet, as these skills will continue to be very valuable for the future.
There are several reasons why people should choose to develop these skills. Firstly, it is a market that is in demand, so if you have those skills, you’re going to be in demand. Secondly, there is a lot of opportunity for innovation and development.. This is still a very new industry and the impact that data centers, fiber line subsea or terrestrial connectivity have on communities and the world is tremendous. There’s much potential yet to be explored, especially as AI becomes more prevalent and our lives become more digitally connected. Additionally, there are serious sustainability challenges that need to be addressed, such as power consumption and water demand in these facilities. Asthe data center industry continues to grow it will be essential to continually innovate if we’re to tackle these challenges.. So, there’s a real opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the future of the world if we can solve these problems, and we need bright minds to do that.
What are we doing to reduce the environmental impact of data centers and promote sustainability in data center operations?
Firstly, we consult regularly with our clients to help them envision the next generation of net zero carbon data centers. This process involves considering both building envelope and operational factors. We approach this in three stages: what is achievable now, what is achievable in the foreseeable future, and what might be some of the groundbreaking ideas that we could consider for the far distant future.
We also support our clients in developing microgrids for their facilities, allowing them to intelligently use the energy they generate on site while also gaining a return on investment through various models. Sometimes these are developer-led and owned and operated by another entity, and sometimes we help our clients to achieve it themselves. This process doesn’t just apply to data centers, it also works for corporate offices and manufacturing facilities as well.
How are we using technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation to design and deliver the data centers of the future?
Our innovation as a service (IaaS) team works directly with our clients to understand their issues and challenges. They’re also an incubator for the development and prototyping of new technologies and specialized solutions that respond to the complex problems our clients are facing.
We’re also using digital to automate as much of the design process as possible. This automation improves efficiency, reduces costs, and enhances consistency and quality in global delivery.