What will the data center look like in 2019 and beyond? That’s one of the most pressing questions facing data center managers as the new year approaches. The IT environment continues to evolve rapidly to support changing business requirements, making it difficult to conceptualize a data center infrastructure that can meet tomorrow’s demands.

Organizations are looking to take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other workloads that weren’t on anyone’s radar a few years ago. These applications require sophisticated new hardware that delivers the highest levels of performance, and a network capable of moving large volumes of data with minimal latency.

In addition to “new,” data center managers must worry about “more” — more workloads, more data, more users, more devices. The IT environment is growing quickly within the data center, at the edge, and in the cloud. The need to control capital and operational costs require a high-density architecture that maximizes the use of data center real estate and power and optimizes resource utilization.

Thing is, few data centers were planned with this degree of change in mind. There are so many things to consider — rack size and configuration, power density and distribution, cooling, and cabling, just to name a few. IT teams tend to base decisions on current requirements with a fudge factor for growth. Those decisions probably didn’t take into account the need for AI servers with GPUs that consume a lot of power and generate a lot of heat or IoT applications that demand a highly distributed environment.

So, what requirements should data center managers be considering as we entered 2019?

• A flexible data center infrastructure that can facilitate change and support workloads at the edge
• Cooling solutions that optimize airflow to enable higher power densities while keeping a lid on costs
• Power distribution solutions that can accommodate various types of hardware
• Automation tools that streamline workflows and provide the data IT teams need to better manage the data center environment
• “Future-proof” cabling solutions that enable bandwidth upgrades and changing architectures without costly “rip and replace”
• Interoperable systems that maximize utilization and enable consolidation
• Expertise in the design, architecture, deployment, and validation of cutting-edge IT solutions
• Provisioning processes that enable the rapid rollout of new applications and services anywhere in the world

What does the data center of the future look like? That’s difficult to predict, but Rahi Systems is here to help you address today’s data center challenges and position your organization for the future.

Author: Marcus Doran – VP and GM at Rahi Systems, Europe

Marcus Doran is an experienced data center infrastructure sales professional with 20 years’ experience in sales growth, revenue generation, and new business development. He joined Rahi Systems in April 2016. Through his three-decade career, Marcus has worked all over Ireland, the Middle East, and the UK as a Sales Manager, a Channel Manager and a Major Account Manager.