Several important data center trends that were anticipated last year are materializing in 2021. The following will discuss their implications for both providers and operators.

1) Acceleration of Cloud Adoption

By the end of this year, experts predict 4 out of 5 businesses will make the shift to cloud applications and infrastructure at a rate 100% faster than before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2) Edge Data Centers Increase

Researchers anticipate edge computing will reach a turning point this year that further increases adoption. Driven by cloud service providers, enterprises, and telecoms, the acceleration of deployment is expected to double edge servers to almost 5 million by 2024. Edge computing allows organizations to create their own private 5G networks, significantly increasing outreach efforts to their users.

3) Improved Operational Sustainability

During the past few years, data centers reduced power consumption through the deployment of energy-efficient cooling systems and equipment. Experts predict that 9 out of 10 organizations will require data centers to use IT hardware built from reusable materials, require less energy consumption, and set targets for carbon neutrality by 2025.

4) Remote Management & Autonomous Operations

Due to quarantines and social distancing, the pandemic allowed data center providers and businesses to realize how important it was to be able to remotely manage and monitor their data centers. In addition, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) solutions, which use machine learning and analytics, is promoting the growth of the automation of IT operations and processes.

5) Resurgence of Data Center Investment

Although outlays for data center infrastructure fell 10% in 2020, experts expect a 6% growth in 2021 with an investment of $200 billion. The biggest operators of data centers operators are anticipated to restart their expansion initiatives. In addition, hyperscalers such as Alibaba, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft will continue expanding globally by increasing their public cloud investments.

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