EXPERT OPINION
the cloud and giving them the modern IT
architecture to move between the two.
Are there any variations/nuances
within the EMEA region as to the
approach to modernisation?
The need for modernisation and the general
approaches are quite similar across the
board. Every region we operate in faces the
same basic challenge; how to harness the
potential of rapid advances in technology to
deliver a competitive advantage.
Environmental impact is also rising ever
higher up the corporate agenda and it
is important to be able to meet these
issues head on. Local environmental
requirements, particularly for emissions
and energy efficiency are subject to
changes and revisions. These can vary by
region, country and continent so flexibility
is once again important.
The regulatory environment in Europe is
slightly different to the US and access to
power is also a factor in some regions,
which can affect some modernisation
approaches. Data centre demand and new
site construction is ever-growing, meaning
energy networks across Europe and
elsewhere are under their greatest pressure
to service demand and offer the best
service they can, meaning priorities when
approaching modernisation could vary.
What kind of technology solutions
are top of mind for organisations
embarking on data centre
modernisation projects?
use less power, and increased operating
temperatures means less cooling is
required to maintain server conditions,
costing less to run.
How should data centre operators
approach modernisation overall?
Keeping the end customer in mind is
key when embarking on data centre
modernisation and ensuring everything
you undertake will offer the optimum
offering for the customer base.
Being open to change, embracing new
technology and future-proofing as much as
possible is also important to ensure agility
and flexibility and the ability to respond to
changing customer needs at speed.
Ensuring all environmental obligations
are adhered to is vital and keeping in
mind that these are subject to change
means flexibility and agility are key
when implementing any new technology
or IT architecture.
Energy efficiency should be top of
mind for all modernisation approached.
At CyrusOne, we recently announced
that our London I and London II data
centre facilities are running on a 100%
renewable energy tariff, a move which
will transfer energy annual usage
equivalent to 52,000 households to zero-
emissions sources.
steps to become more sustainable through
our modernisation efforts. ◊
KEEPING THE
END CUSTOMER
IN MIND IS KEY
WHEN EMBARKING
ON DATA CENTRE
MODERNISATION
AND ENSURING
EVERYTHING
YOU UNDERTAKE
WILL OFFER
THE OPTIMUM
OFFERING FOR THE
CUSTOMER BASE.
This example shows we are listening to
customer demands and making positive
All new technology deployed needs to
focus on achieving the optimum data
centre framework, reducing costs and
increasing streamlined activity. Newer
methods of cooling should be a priority
for those looking to modernise. We’ve
deployed indirect adiabatic air cooling
at several of our data centre facilities in
Europe to ensure a low PUE and offer an
independently regulated temperature
and humidity system, reducing the risk of
overheating servers.
Ongoing research and development means
modern plants are cheaper to run and
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Issue 04
Mark O’Keefe, Director of Architecture
at CyrusOne
www.intelligentdatacentres.com