In today’s fast-paced digital world, the growth of hyperscale data centers is driven by the rapid advancements in AI, IoT, Big Data and Analytics, Cloud Services, and digital transformation. This growth necessitates a strategic approach to scalability, combining the need for energy efficiency and sustainability with robust cybersecurity and data security compliance. Expanding globally or powering your local needs while ensuring constant availability also requires selecting the right partner. Here are “eight secrets” or critical insights that can guide your process for establishing smart partnerships.
- Assessing Current and Future Needs: Does the data center partner behave like a consultant seeking to understand your business and technology needs? Understanding your current business needs and goals, as well as your IT infrastructure is crucial. It is essential to evaluate your present capabilities and forecast future requirements to ensure your infrastructure can handle anticipated growth.
- Focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance: Is the data center partner committed to ESG and can they demonstrate their commitment through tangible actions and discernable reporting? Look for a partner who has a forward-thinking mindset and views ESG as a mission-critical focus important to everyone in the company, key stakeholders, and customers. They should publicly provide goals that are qualitative, quantitative, and meaningful then hold themselves accountable through public reporting and accountability.
- Partnering with Flexible Data Center Providers: In a world where change is the only constant, flexibility is key. Opting for a data center provider that offers adaptable solutions, and a history of success is vital. This flexibility not only accommodates current needs but also ensures scalability for future demands. The track record ensures that they will be there when you need them and have the vision and capital needed to stay ahead of technology trends and your capacity needs.
- Emphasizing Reliability and Uptime: How does the data center partner demonstrate reliability and capabilities to support future AI or high-performance computing needs inclusive with superior operations? The backbone of scaling operations is reliability and uptime. It is important to investigate a data center partner’s record in these areas and understand their financial capabilities to invest in the technology and infrastructure to support future innovation. Reliable operations, strong capital footing, and focus on innovation ensure business continuity and the ability to scale.
- Looking for Customizable Solutions: Does the data center offer customizable solutions around power and cooling design for dedicated data halls or buildings? Every business has unique needs. Therefore, partnering with providers that offer customizable solutions – like CyrusOne with its Intelliscale™ Design capabilities – is essential. Such partners can tailor their services to fit specific requirements, ensuring a more efficient scaling process.
- Evaluating Technical Support and Expertise: Does the data center have a depth of knowledgeable Solutions Engineering and Technical Design expertise? Quality technical support significantly influences scalability. Access to expert advice and ongoing support ensures that scaling challenges are met with professional and timely solutions, facilitating smoother expansion. In addition, you need to ensure the data center partner has a healthy ecosystem of service and technology partners that can help build and deploy your racks or support your data center growth needs.
- Considering Geographic Location and Expansion Opportunities: Geographic location plays a crucial role in expansion. When collaborating with multiple partners, it’s important to ensure they collaborate. Choosing locations that support growth while considering connectivity, logistical, and operational efficiencies.
- Ensuring Financial Flexibility and Strength: Understanding the financial implications of scaling is critical. It is important to evaluate both your financial readiness and the financial strength of your partners. This includes assessing the ability to deliver and maintain a hyperscale environment and creating growth plans that offer tangible value in a reasonable timeframe.
While these insights might not be ‘secrets’ in the traditional sense, they are too often overlooked in their entirety as key aspects in the data center scaling process. By thoroughly evaluating potential partners against these criteria, you can ensure that your decisions made today will support and enhance your scalability tomorrow. This strategic approach is vital for navigating the complex landscape of data center expansion, ensuring that your infrastructure can grow in tandem with your business needs.