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Top 3 Key Trends Transforming Colocation Data Centres in India

Jun 30, 2023
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Vikram Nagrani
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In today's interconnected world, data has become the lifeblood of businesses and organisations, driving innovation, efficiency, and growth. As the demand for robust and reliable data storage and management continues to surge, colocation data centres have emerged as vital hubs, facilitating seamless connectivity and optimal data handling. Among the dynamic landscapes of data centres worldwide, India stands out as a burgeoning market, witnessing a remarkable surge in colocation services.

 

India's digital transformation journey has been propelled by various factors, including the government's push for digitisation, increased internet penetration, and a booming e-commerce industry. This wave of digitisation has led to an exponential increase in data generation, necessitating advanced infrastructure to manage and store this vast amount of information. Moreover, colocation data centres offer scalable and secure solutions, enabling businesses to adapt to the evolving digital landscape while focusing on their core operations.

 

Top Industry Trends Leading to the Growth of Colocation Data Centres in India

 

The future of colocation data centres [1] is looking bright, with the latest trends and innovations constantly emerging. Let's explore the prominent trends driving the growth and advancement of colocation data centres in the Indian market.

 

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)

 

AI and ML are transforming the role and demand of highly efficient data centres, turning them into absolute necessity. Applying AI & ML to colocation data centres in India, new possibilities for efficiency, reliability, and agility are being created. Adapting efficient technology and architecture help to optimise energy consumption, cooling costs, and sustainability, thereby improving the performance of the data centres. With AI and ML, colocation data centres can also generate data-driven insights that can boost the growth and success of businesses.

 

Moreover, AI and ML applications require vast data processing, storage, and computational power, for which traditional IT infrastructure may not suffice and require additional support to run efficiently. Colocation data centres are equipped with advanced hardware and optimised infrastructure to meet the demanding computational requirements of AI and ML workloads. Data centres leverage specialised processors, high-performance storage systems, and scalable network architecture to support rapid processing and analysis of large data sets.

 

2. Increasing Demand for Multi-Cloud

 

The demand for cloud, hybrid, and managed services is rapidly increasing. This is because these services offer different models of digital infrastructure operations. These services help businesses with improved scalability, cost savings, and increased security. Cloud services allow businesses to store data and applications, providing access to the most up-to-date technology. Hybrid services enable enterprises to use both on-premises and cloud-based solutions for their IT needs. Managed services allow businesses to outsource the management of their IT infrastructure, this frees up the resources to be repurposed for other tasks. With the increasing demand for these services, businesses can benefit from the latest technology and improved efficiency.

 

3. Edge Applications Leading to Surge in Growth of OTT Platforms & Cloud Based Solutions

 

The emergence of edge applications has significantly contributed to the surge in growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. OTT platforms have revolutionised the way content is delivered to consumers by bypassing traditional distribution channels and providing on-demand access to a wide range of media content. The proliferation of edge computing, which brings computation and data storage closer to the end-users, has enabled OTT platforms to deliver high-quality streaming experiences with reduced latency and improved reliability. By leveraging edge applications, OTT platforms can distribute content from geographically distributed data centres closer to the end-users, resulting in faster content delivery and enhanced user experiences.

 

The growth of OTT platforms, driven by the rise of edge applications, has also triggered a corresponding expansion in demand for colocation data centres. Colocation data centres provide an efficient and cost-effective solution for OTT platforms to store and process large volumes of data. As the user base of OTT platforms continues to grow, the need for scalable and reliable data storage solutions becomes paramount. Colocation data centres offer the necessary infrastructure and connectivity options to support the increasing demands of OTT platforms. These data centres are strategically located to ensure low-latency access to end-users, optimising content delivery and user experience.

 

Furthermore, edge applications are playing a crucial role in driving the growth of automation in manufacturing, particularly for latency-sensitive applications and cloud-based ERP solution.

 

The use of edge applications offers several significant benefits, such as decreased latency, real-time data processing capabilities, and improved reliability. By executing time-sensitive tasks near the data source, edge applications enable faster response times and support immediate decision-making. Manufacturing organizations can leverage these capabilities to gain valuable insights, conduct analytics, and optimize processes in real-time, thereby increasing productivity and minimizing operational downtime.

 

The outcomes of the above top imperatives are propelling following trends which are leading the evolution of the colocation data centres:

 

1. Liquid Cooling

 

The evolution of colocation data centres is undergoing a remarkable transformation through the integration of liquid cooling technologies. The heightened heat levels due to the deployment of high-performance compute systems pose a significant challenge, compromising system performance and exacerbating power consumption, turning the system into an energy-intensive entity.

 

To address this critical issue, liquid cooling has emerged as a pivotal solution, offering a means to effectively combat escalating temperatures and enhance system performance while reducing energy consumption. By implementing liquid cooling methodologies, colocation data centres are poised to tackle the mounting heat generated by high-performance systems, thereby optimising workload processing capabilities and ensuring sustainable energy efficiency. Due to the current emphasis on enhancing cooling infrastructure, liquid cooling solutions, such as those implemented at STT GDC India, have become increasingly cost-effective, environmentally conscious, and compatible with utility systems. Moreover, data centres prioritise water reuse programs to bolster resource sustainability and minimise water usage.

 

2. Prioritising Green Data Centres

 

The demand for green colocation data centres [2] is rising. As businesses become more conscious of their environmental impact, they seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Green data centres are designed to use renewable energy sources, reduce energy consumption, and maximise efficiency. STT GDC India operates a network of data centres nationwide, with a noteworthy 36% of our electricity consumption sourced from zero-carbon renewable energy. Demonstrating our dedication to sustainability, we reached a significant milestone in 2022 by achieving a 52% utilisation of renewable energy . We remain steadfast in our commitment to attaining carbon neutrality by 2030.

 

3. Rise of Hyperscale Data Centres

 

The emergence of hyperscale data centres is transforming the IT landscape, enabling cloud-based companies to retain their global relevance amidst a fiercely competitive industry. Data, information, and interconnectedness lie at the core of our technology-driven global economy. In today's world, every business or corporation globally possesses an online presence and heavily depends on data for effective communication and dissemination of information.

 

The increasing usage of public cloud services has significantly contributed to the rise in hyperscale data centres. Public cloud providers have experienced exponential growth in demand for their services. This surge in demand is primarily due to businesses and individuals adopting cloud-based solutions to store and process their data, run applications, and leverage scalable infrastructure.

 

As a result, public cloud providers have had to expand their infrastructure rapidly to meet the growing needs of their customers. Hyperscale data centres, characterised by their immense size and capacity, have emerged as the solution to accommodate the massive amounts of data and computing power required to support the ever-increasing demands of public cloud services. These data centres enable public cloud providers to offer reliable and scalable services, ensuring high availability, performance, and cost-effectiveness for their customers.

 

Exploring the Unmatched Advantages of Colocation Data Centres

 

Colocation data centres offer a range of significant benefits for businesses seeking reliable and efficient IT infrastructure solutions. Colocation data centres offer businesses cost-saving advantages through economies of scale, allowing them to reduce expenses by sharing infrastructure costs with other companies. These centres provide flexible pricing models, ensuring businesses only pay for the necessary resources and built-for-purpose space, maximising cost efficiency. Additionally, colocation data centres enhance business reliability with power backup systems, efficient cooling, and robust security features, enabling operations to continue seamlessly during power outages and minimising physical risks to data and equipment.

 

These facilities also provide expert services, including systems monitoring, security solutions, disaster recovery strategies, and hardware procurement, installation, and maintenance assistance. Furthermore, colocation data centre providers prioritise technology innovation to provide future-ready facilities that support a smooth and efficient digital transformation process while embracing infrastructure enhancements and innovation.

 

Setting the Trends: STT GDC India Leading India's Colocation Data Centre Industry:

 

STT GDC India is a leading data centre provider focused on powering a sustainable digital future. We offer enterprises a strong foundation for success with three key components: scale, spirit, and operational excellence. Since 2014, we have rapidly grown into an international platform of data centres, connecting the world and supporting technological advancement through innovative, secure, and scalable solutions. Our unified and consistent operations provide dependable service in an ever-changing world.

 

STT GDC India Colocation data centres enable our digital future . We prioritise comprehensive security measures and aim to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2030. Our colocation data centres are meticulously designed and managed, following strict energy, water, materials, waste, and emissions standards.

 

STT Global Data Centres India Private Limited, is a majority-owned subsidiary of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, Singapore. Since 2004, STT GDC India has been managing the country's largest raised floor area and with ~200MW of critical IT load with now 21 facilities across 9 major cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Noida, serving over 1,000 customers including many Fortune 500 companies and over 30% market share revenue. Its mission-critical solutions comprise best-in-class offerings, delivering industry-leading uptime to its customers.

 

For any further queries, connect with us at contact@sttelemediagdc.in

 

Sources : :

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/03/07/timing-the-heartbeat-of-data-center-transformation/?sh=6f27d7646651

 

https://www.jll.co.in/en/trends-and-insights/investor/5-green-data-center-technologies-to-watch-for

 

https://www.sttelemediagdc.com/in-en/newsroom/st-telemedia-global-data-centres-2022-esg-report-demonstrates-commitment-to-powering-advancement-for-a-sustainable-digital-future