Whilst many industries have been hit significantly by the pandemic, one industry that has so far been unscathed, and is in fact booming, is the data centre industry. With developments in technology, along with businesses having to work differently as a result of COVID-19, the demand for data centres has risen exponentially.
Whilst the pandemic has certainly influenced the need for more data centres, the industry has been experiencing growth for some time. Between 2015 and 2020, global data centre traffic more than quadrupled and has continued to increase in 2021.
So, why the need for data centres?
What are the growth elements influencing the thriving data centre industry?
In 2021, as businesses and organisations across the globe seek to improve their performance, as well as adapting to changed business practices, there are a number of key factors influencing the growth of demand for data centres.
Data centres are essential for practically every technology development of the present and in the future:
Cloud storage
In the last year or so, the growth in demand for cloud services has meant significant changes in the data centre industry. Whilst businesses have been moving to cloud storage for a number of years as they switched to non-physical storage for emails and other applications, with a large percentage of businesses having to switch to working from home for the majority of the last 12 months or more, many have had to accelerate their cloud systems to allow them to continue to function.
With demand for cloud storage increasing rapidly, the result has been the need for stronger data centre infrastructures.
Internet of Things
Internet of Things or IoT driven technologies are increasingly important in all sectors, from AI, to data and analytics, communication and security. Data centres are key to the growth of IoT.
Data outsourcing
A further result of businesses allowing their employees to work from home is that in many cases, the office has become redundant, and a result of this is that as well as moving operations out of a central office space, businesses that maintained their own data storage centres have instead moved to outsourced data solutions, further increasing the demand for data centres.
Demand for data centre professionals
As the demand for data centres grows, so does demand for qualified candidates to build and maintain data centre systems. A data centre is a physical facility that contains storage systems, application delivery controllers and servers, designed to store data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year without interruption.
Needless to say, to keep a data centre running effectively on a constant basis, considerable labour and expertise is required to build and maintain them. Let’s look at the physical elements that make up a data centre.
Data centres consume a high level of energy, and in order for their storage systems and servers to run, a strong and reliable electricity supply is essential. Storage systems are interconnected via systems of cables, routers and switches, which must be routed in a way that they are not subject to unnecessary damage, but are also easy to access in the event that they must be replaced.
As a result of the high volume of electricity required to allow all elements of a data centre infrastructure to function, temperatures and humidity increase. As a result, intelligent air conditioning systems are vital to keep temperatures at an optimal level to avoid malfunctions and failures. Needless to say, air conditioning systems also require strong and reliable electricity sources to function.In addition to climate control, data centres also require fire protection systems in order to provide warning in the case of a fire developing.
The build, implementation and maintenance of data centres requires a wide range of qualified data communications specialists, and as the industry continues to grow, we can expect the demand for specialist labour in this sector to increase.
On-Site Group are specialists in recruiting for the data centre industry. We bridge the gap between candidates and clients in the sector, working closely with both parties to ensure that the right person is found for each position. Working in the data centres industry day in day out, our team of recruitment consultants understand the challenges faced in the sector, and stay up to date with all developments in an industry that is constantly moving forward.If you would like to discuss career opportunities within data centres, or would like to learn more about how we can help you source the right data centre candidates, call 0845 070 3883 or email us today.