Data centers, the heart of most organizations' networks, are becoming increasingly important and, despite the current economic climate, remain the primary target for investment to improve their performance and reliability.
Data center managers from more than 730 organizations in 54 countries responded to the study's questions about trends in equipment, design, and future data center development. “It is becoming increasingly clear that data centers are playing a leading role, and companies continue to invest to ensure that quality, performance, and intelligent management meet their objectives,” commented George Brooks, director of data centers at CommScope. “Despite the global economic downturn, companies are still investing in data center upgrade and expansion projects, whether to stay ahead of technological innovations and new applications or to try to achieve high profitability.”
Key findings of the study
: The key findings of the study were as follows:
- More than half (54%) of companies installing new copper cabling would invest in 10Gb/s Category 6A solutions. Their high performance and reliability are key for virtualization and consolidation, the main drivers of green and cost-reduction strategies. Airports (86%) and healthcare facilities (71%) are the leading sectors in investment in 10G Category 6A copper solutions.
- Among the surveyed companies that are installing new fiber cabling in their data centers, the switch to 10G and 40/100G laser multimode fibers is accelerating, with OM3 installations at 31% and OM4 at 19%.
Data centers remain the primary target for investment in new technologies, as they offer energy and space savings. These new technologies include blade servers, which are more compact and energy-efficient than previous models, and virtualization, which allows more applications to run on each server. All of this enables cost savings through reduced electricity consumption and space requirements.
As additional computing resources are squeezed into equipment racks, data centers are beginning to implement higher-bandwidth solutions to reduce the growth of cabling space. Blade servers reduce the complexity of cable management compared to optimized servers. 30% of companies are already using new 10 Gb/s copper connectivity solutions in their network backbone, while 46% plan to do so within the next three years.
In horizontal network segments, 21% of companies are using 10Gb/s connections with copper cabling. Another 48% plan to do the same within the next three years. The new high-performance copper cabling, compliant with Category 6A/Class EA standards, provides an easy-to-install option for high-performance data centers.
“The recession isn’t reducing the demand that’s driving data center expansion,” Brooks commented. “At the same time, the need for greater bandwidth for high-definition audiovisual content is increasing the demand for high-performance data center infrastructure. As servers become too small and require new applications, connection density and bandwidth will need to grow accordingly.” The study demonstrates that companies continue to invest in technology to improve the efficiency and performance of their data centers. Most participants highlighted the importance of performance (62%) and ease of maintenance (54%) over price (50%) when making the purchase decision.
“Improved data center performance contributes to efficiency and helps businesses combat the economic crisis and achieve a faster recovery,” Brooks said. “Physical layer infrastructure is a key consideration, as it can overwhelm the system during peak demand. 10G and 40/100G solutions are both reliable and affordable, guaranteeing performance and space savings for many years. These high-speed infrastructure connections free up space for other equipment and improve airflow, the biggest concern for most participants (61%).”
CommScope Enterprise Solutions, a division of CommScope, Inc., offers a portfolio of network infrastructure solutions that enables businesses of all sizes, industries, and IT budgets to capitalize on economic and business opportunities. The SYSTIMAX® and Uniprise® product lines offer voice, data, video, and other solutions. ranging from emerging, mission-critical, high-bandwidth applications to applications demanding maximum reliability and quality for everyday needs. Backed by CommScope's laboratories, the product line is distributed through a network of leading BusinessPartners and distributors, ensuring reliable service and support worldwide.
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Article provided by CommScope
