27 INSATIABLE DEMAND
“ Thanks to an exponential increase in demand for content delivery in entertainment , education and commerce , 2020 saw a huge spike in demand for data ”
— Brian Johnson , Global data centre leader , ABB
– have accelerated a global shift away from enterprise data centres towards the cloud . Over the past year , the data centre industry has split in two , as hyperscale and cloud platform providers have grown , and enterprise spending has fallen . With hyperscalers already scrambling to keep pace with growing demand , Johnson warns that the trend shouldn ’ t be expected to slow down this year . “ It ’ s difficult to see this decreasing as we look ahead to 2021 , as changes to the way we live , work and socialise are set to continue ,” he predicts . “ Greater connectivity brought about by advances in 5G , including the launch of new 5G compatible devices like the iPhone 12 , and greater use of AI and machine learning , is also set to have a huge impact on data centres .”
27 INSATIABLE DEMAND
In a recent report , Gartner predicted that , after experiencing a 10.3 % drop in 2020 , data centre spending will rebound in 2021 . This year , total investment in new and ongoing projects is expected to grow by 6 % to reach more than $ 200bn . The majority of the decline in 2020 , noted Gartner senior research director Naveen
datacentremagazine . com