The findings range from the anticipated increase in cloud usage to ambitious data centers largely powered by solar energy with power densities exceeding 50 kW per rack. And if one thing is clear, it's that most experts believe the data center, as we know it today, will undergo profound changes over the next decade.
More than 800 data center professionals from around the world responded to the survey for the "Data Center of 2025" report, while many others contributed their insights through interviews, email, and videos. Taken together, the feedback indicates that most professionals remain optimistic about the data center industry and continued innovation in the IT space. For example, on average, experts predict that density will increase to 52 kW per rack by 2025. According to the Emerson Network Power-sponsored Data Center Users' Group™, average density has remained relatively flat since peaking at 6 kW nearly a decade ago, but professionals anticipate a dramatic increase in density that could radically change the physical data center environment.
“We began the Data Center 2025 initiative with a sincere desire to discover what our customers, partners, colleagues, and others involved in the data center community believed the future held for this industry,” said Steve Hassell, president of data center solutions at Emerson Network Power. “We approached the research with an open mind, without expectations or preconceived notions about what we would find. The results reflect a level of sophisticated understanding, visionary thinking, and genuine optimism that I found inspiring. I believe the true impact of this report lies not only in its measurement of current opinion but also in its ability to spark future innovation.”
Other key survey findings and forecasts from the report include:
Major changes in data center power sources: Experts believe a mix of sources will be used to power data centers. Solar power will be the primary source, followed by a roughly equal mix of nuclear, wind, and natural gas. 65% believe hyperscale facilities are likely to be powered by private energy generation.
Cloud forecasts are somewhat conservative: Industry experts predict that two-thirds of data center computing will be cloud-based by 2025. This is actually a fairly conservative estimate. According to Cisco’s Global Cloud Index, cloud workloads represent about 46% of total data center workloads, and this is projected to reach 63% by 2017.
DCIM will play a prominent role: 29% of professionals anticipate comprehensive visibility across all systems and layers, while 43% expect data centers to self-heal and optimize. Combined, 72% of experts believe some level of DCIM will be deployed by 2025—a significantly higher percentage than current estimates of DCIM adoption.
Utilization rates will be higher: This increased visibility is expected to lead to more efficient overall performance, with 72% of industry experts expecting IT resource utilization rates to be at least 60% by 2025. The median projection is 70%. This stands out compared to today's estimated averages, which range from a mere 6 to 12 percent, while those achieved with best practices would range from 30 to 50 percent.
"The data center of 2025 certainly won't be a data center. I like to use the transportation analogy," commented Andy Lawrence, vice president of data center technologies and eco-efficient IT at 451 Research. "On the road, we see sports cars and family cars, buses and trucks. We have different types of engines, different types of seats, and different characteristics in terms of energy consumption and reliability. We're going to see something similar to that in the data center world. In fact, it's already happening, and I expect it to continue."
