THE EDGE or decades , the data centre has been regarded as the
F nexus of the network and a fundamental component of the digital economy . For enterprises , telco carriers , cable operators and , more recently , service providers like Google and Facebook , the data centre was the heart and muscle of IT .
The emergence of the cloud has emphasised the central importance of the modern data centre . But with the emergence of technology such as 5G and the Internet of Things ( IoT ), we are hearing rumblings of change , namely that IT decision-makers are focusing on small and Edge data centres , with an increasing need to locate more capacity and processing power closer to end-users .
According to a recent study from market research firm , Global Market Insights , the small and Edge data centre market will surpass US $ 20 billion by 2026 with regard to annual valuation .
Small but complete data centre
A small and Edge data centre is a data centre that provides localised IT deployment for cloud services and has computing , storage and analysis resources for application processing and data caching .
It contains the same power , cooling , connectivity and security features as a centralised data centre , but on a smaller scale . In addition , IT deployments in small Edge data centres will handle the processing , data analysis and data storage of applications , end-users of those applications and data , and the devices that use them .
Smaller data centre – Closer to customer and lower latency
The next decade will produce interconnected technologies that will continue to transform and automate our daily lives . These include 5G mobile networks , self-driving vehicles , as well as Smart Cities and factories driven by Internet of Things ( IoT ) and Industrial Internet of Things ( IIoT ) devices .
However , to fully exploit the potential of these technologies , we still need to overcome some key technical constraints – mainly latency . The solution to reduce latency lies in small-sized and Edge data centres , which make IT resources closer to users and devices .
Localised computing , data storage and data analysis provide higher application performance and reliability .
Gartner predicts that 75 % of data generated by enterprises will be processed at the Edge within the next four years . The growing desire for real-time interactions is driving businesses to bring computing power closer to end-users .
Small and Edge data centres are making appearances in several industries and scenarios :
• Retail . Small and Edge data centres can exist within retail outlets as retailers try to close the gap between selling online and selling at brick-andmortar locations .
• Manufacturing . Edge data centres are being used in distribution warehouses to manage growing inventory and shipping data as well as within factories to manage
ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY FROM MARKET RESEARCH FIRM , GLOBAL MARKET INSIGHTS , THE SMALL AND EDGE DATA CENTRE MARKET WILL SURPASS US $ 20 BILLION BY 2026 WITH REGARD TO ANNUAL VALUATION .
data generated from sensors and communications between equipment , contributing to a growing Industrial IoT .
• Telecom . Central offices of telco companies are being converted to computing rooms and used as Edge data centres to make their networks more dynamic .
More scenarios ’ applications are on the way .
Modular data centre solution – The best choice
Modular data centres can quickly provide required IT services and provide space for future expansion , enabling enterprises to adapt to technology development www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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