In the brave new digitized world, data center modernization assumes a new significance. Gone are the days when CIOs would invest in a data center as an after-thought. Now, in the ‘Digital First’ strategy, adopted by many organisations, data centers are considered as a driver for business growth.
Data centers have to be modernized as they need to handle the rapid demands of business. There is also a need to be competitive as digitization has rewritten the conventional rules of business. Competition can transcend boundaries, and the world has become a connected universe. Legacy data centers can no longer keep up with the amount of data organizations generate on a daily basis. That’s why transforming a legacy data center results in a greater competitive edge, reduced expenditures and higher profits. All this warrants a data center modernization approach.
“There is no doubt that updating critical IT infrastructure also improves efficiency. In fact, BDx has grown its presence across Asia by acquiring legacy Telco DCs and turning them around to increase efficiency and capacity. Moreover, 95% of the majority of BDx’s facilities are well on their way to achieving full automation or “lights-out” operations,” stated Mayank Srivastava, CDO, BDx and Interim President Director of BDx Indonesia.
The Need For Data Center Modernization
Since its inception, BDx has focused on doing one thing extremely well – modernizing and building best-in-class data centers that drive innovation and deliver economical and sustainable solutions for digital transformation growth across the Asia-Pacific region. To understand data center modernization, let’s flip the question. What happens when data center modernization is neglected?
Just like any building or structure, a data center requires maintenance to ensure it stays in optimal condition and is operating efficiently. If modernization efforts are neglected, there is a very good chance the data center will incur higher energy costs and will become less efficient and less reliable over time. In addition, older physical infrastructure can take more time and money to maintain, and it can become overloaded as it works to support advanced technologies that require more speed and agility.
“Additionally, as climate change concerns continue to increase, a neglected data center becomes a contributor to this critical problem. On the other hand, a retrofitted facility is an important part of the solution – and as an industry, we must look toward all legacy data centers to undergo modernization efforts to save our planet and build on a more sustainable future. In Indonesia, we are putting these words into action by updating existing facilities and delivering 25MW of additional capacity while developing 100MW of greenfield capacity – all while reducing 25,000 tonnes of carbon footprint,” points out Srivastava.
Valid Concerns
Often, customers fear that once they migrate to a Data Center, they’ll be stuck with their existing, on-prem hardware to run their new Data Center. In such a scenario, what happens?
The answer to this question is deciding what the business needs are. All facilities should offer flexible deployment models designed to scale as companies grow. “BDx offers a flexible data hall model that gives customers more control and the ability to plug and play for power and footprint scalability of up to 10 kW with a cutting-edge intelligent power distribution design, enabling seamless fulfillment of high-density requirements in the most sustainable way.
BDx also provides the flexibility to leverage physical hardware or a hybrid environment, enabling an integrated solution and smooth transition. Plus, establishing a deployment method that best suits a customer’s current IT infrastructure while aligning with future digital initiatives will help navigate rapidly changing technology trends while driving efficiencies and sustainability goals,” stated Srivastava.
Cost Factor
While modernizing an aging data center can take a great amount of time and resources, it is highly likely the upgrades will result in significant cost savings in the long run. Chances are, legacy data centers are running at a lower efficiency compared to new or modernized data centers. Meaning day after day, year after year, the cost to power less efficient systems can add up quickly as yesterday’s platforms attempt to keep up with today’s connectivity demands.
In fact, most modern data centers operate between 94% and 99% efficiency, while older data centers operate between 85% and 92% efficiency. Over time, the modern, more efficient data center will have significant benefits.
“It is also important to think about the potential maintenance costs to keep older systems up and running. In addition, there is a higher risk of downtime with older systems. If an outage occurs, a business could suffer significant revenue loss as each minute of lost connectivity ticks by. Not to mention, the carbon savings of modernization vs. a new build helps save the environment,” avers Srivastava.
In the past, physical infrastructure systems such as power, cooling, and ventilation were traditionally refreshed at a much slower rate. In the new normal, has all that changed?
Mayank Srivastava is of the view that as advancements in new technology continue to emerge at a rapid pace, data centers will need to ensure their infrastructure is able to keep up, too. “While power, cooling and ventilation systems used to be refreshed at a slower rate, the updates are now automated due to IoT sensors and real-time reporting capabilities,” he says.
In the final analysis, whether customers are operating within an on-premises, cloud, or hybrid model, data center modernization experts transform legacy infrastructures into ones that easily scale, address the ever-changing needs of organizations and offer a competitive edge in the market.
