Emerson Network Power Report Identifies Four Emerging Data Center Models

Cybersecurity, cloud and fog computing, and sustainability spark new archetype trends in the data center landscape

Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson  and the world’s leading provider of critical infrastructure for information and communications technology systems, today released a summary report that predicts four emerging archetypes will reshape the way the data center of the future will look and operate.

Traditionally, the data center has evolved in response to technology innovation—mostly server-based—and the pace and direction has been somewhat predictable. Disruptive trends such as cloud computing, sustainability, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things are driving profound IT changes across all industries and creating opportunities and challenges in the process. As a result, new archetypes are emerging that will change the data center landscape and improve productivity, drive down costs and increase agility. The four emerging archetypes of tomorrow’s data centers are:

– The Data Fortress: Cyber attacks have disrupted some of the world’s leading companies as our increasingly connected world creates more and more openings for hackers. Organizations are beginning to take a security-first approach to data center design, deploying out-of-network data pods for highly sensitive information—in some cases with separate, dedicated power and thermal management equipment.

– The Cloud of Many Drops: Despite virtualization-driven improvements, too many servers remain underutilized – some studies indicate servers use just 5-15 percent of their computing capacity and that 30 percent of all servers are “comatose.” We see a future where organizations explore shared service models, selling some of that excess capacity and in effect becoming part of the cloud.

– Fog Computing: Distributed architectures are becoming commonplace as computing at the edge of the network becomes more critical. Introduced by Cisco, fog computing connects multiple small networks into a single large network, with application services distributed across smart devices and edge computing systems to improve efficiency and concentrate data processing closer to devices and networks. It’s a logical response to the massive amount of data being generated by the Internet of Things (IoT).

– The Corporate Social Responsibility Compliant Data Center: Energy efficiency continues to be important for an industry with seemingly limitless consumption needs, but other drivers—most notably an increased focus on reducing carbon footprint among some organizations—are pushing the focus toward sustainability and corporate responsibility. The industry is responding with increased use of alternative energy in an effort to move toward carbon neutrality.

“Our work with many of the leading businesses and IT organizations around the world demands innovative thinking and unique perspectives on the changing data center landscape,” said Steve Hassell, president of data center solutions for Emerson Network Power. “We value the sharing of ideas that happens in these relationships and rely on it to ensure our organization and our customers remain ahead of developing trends. These new data center archetypes reflect some themes consistently emerging from those conversations.”