Are Data Centers Looking for Smaller Spaces?

Radical technological breakthroughs are happening every day, and these constant developments are revolutionizing the physical structures needed to maintain the unending avalanche of updates and upgrades.

CRE stands at the forefront of the adaptations needed to keep up with techs fast-paced advancements. This is primarily evident in the properties which function as storehouses for digital information.

Demands for data centers are changing as the capacity of individual handheld devices expand. Computers, tablets, and other electrical devices now hold more power than ever before and are embedded with the ability to process and store at mindblowing rates.

However, growth in the realm of individual units means that the needs and functionality of data centers require key modifications. Data centers still stand as pivotal points, but what and how they operate is undergoing mass transformations.

Edge Computing  

As devices become increasingly powerful, data processing is occurring closer to home. Edge computing roughly translates to processing on the edge, which means that more and more data is able to be processed by the device itself, rather than being outsourced to a data center.

Bisnow’s Intel Technical Program Manager Amith Pulla shares that this growing phenomenon is due to an overall increase in data coupled with the lower tolerance of latency from both consumers and tech companies. Pulla adds, “Previously, all that data would be sent to a data center miles away to be processed. Now, the processing is taking place on the tablet itself and only sending the required insights to the data center.”

Introducing 5G

One of the greatest instigators responsible for data’s global revisioning is 5G networking. Introduced in 2018, this processing platform is anticipated to be in widespread use by 2022. Wireless transfer speeds will be faster than ever before, and much of it is due to large collections of data being processed on the edge.

Flexibility

As processing speeds are increasing, so is the total amount of data. This means that despite the ability for edge computing, data centers still stand as quintessential for the future of tech.

However, the properties themselves are faced with the challenge of upkeeping compatibility with their functions as data storehouses. As less data is being processed at the center itself, the corresponding space requirements drastically decrease.

Centers need to be able to flexibly adapt to any trend in the field. Tech companies are looking for spatial accommodations that can easily be reduced and expanded over time along with the industry’s ebb and flow of demands.

Tech Support

Even more vital than space requirements is the building’s ability to support the equipment stored there. Proficiency in temperature regulation is one of the greatest demands, as heating and cooling need to be adamantly controlled. Another unique challenge data centers need to comply with is floor support, since immense strength is required to support the weight of the equipment.

Keeping up with technology’s continual expansion is no easy task – and data centers, in particular, are faced with challenges that require widespread adaptations in order to remain current and functional.

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