This evolving approach to managing data and computing resources is one of five emerging trends for data centers in 2020 identified by experts at Vertiv, a global provider of IT infrastructure and continuity solutions.

The trend toward hybrid architectures will allow organizations to maintain control over sensitive data while simultaneously meeting the growing demands for greater capacity and more advanced computing capabilities closer to the user. As connectivity and availability become inextricably linked in this new data ecosystem, seamless communication from the core to the cloud and the network edge will become increasingly important.

“A new equilibrium is emerging in the data center space as the industry grapples with capacity challenges and advanced applications that are forcing significant changes across all types of data centers,” said Rob Johnson, CEO of Vertiv. “At the same time, speed of deployment is increasingly becoming a key driver of technology decisions, and this will likely shape investment and innovation in this segment as we move into 2020. This will manifest itself in many ways, but the message to data center equipment providers is clear: the status quo is unacceptable.”

The following includes additional information on hybrid computing and other trends identified by Vertiv experts.

1. Hybrid architectures are becoming more widespread: While cloud computing will remain an important part of the IT strategy for most organizations, we are seeing a subtle shift in strategy as organizations try to align their IT mix and spending with the needs of their applications. As we see more of these hybrid architectures, it is becoming increasingly clear that enterprise data centers are in good shape, even as their role is changing to reflect a hybrid approach that better serves modern organizations.

2. Deployment Speed ​​as the New Arms Race: As technology and system capabilities become more comparable, data center and IT managers will increasingly rely on other criteria when selecting equipment. Cost is always a differentiating factor, but increasingly, the decision will depend on how quickly assets can be deployed. When all other factors are equal, any advantage in deployment and activation speed can be the deciding factor. This is especially true as computing continues to migrate to the edge in today's distributed networks, where delivery delays lead to service outages and lost revenue.

3. Average rack density remains static, however: While average rack density is likely to reflect marginal increases at best, the rise of advanced applications and AI-related workloads, such as machine learning and deep learning, will make high-performance computing segments both necessary and more commonplace. Vertiv experts anticipate early activity in this space in the defense, advanced analytics, and manufacturing sectors in 2020—initiatives that will lay the groundwork for more widespread adoption in 2021 and beyond. These racks have thus far represented a tiny percentage of total racks, but they may present untapped power and cooling challenges that we must address. The growing interest in direct liquid cooling is one response to the demands of high-performance computing.

4. Batteries offer benefits. In 2016, Vertiv experts predicted that lithium-ion batteries would begin to find their place in data centers, and this has proven true, as lithium-ion now holds a significant market share in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries. This share is growing and beginning to extend to edge locations, where the smaller footprint and lower maintenance requirements are a perfect fit. The next step is to leverage the flexibility of lithium-ion batteries and other new battery alternatives, such as thin-plate pure lead-acid (TPPL) batteries, to offset their costs. As we move into 2020, more organizations will begin selling the energy stored in these batteries to utilities to help stabilize the grid and reduce peak demand. This is expected to be an important part of the broader conversations about sustainability in the data center industry.

5. Global Synergies: The United States, particularly Silicon Valley, has been the epicenter of the digital universe and this generation of data center development, but innovation is happening everywhere. A parallel digital ecosystem is emerging in China, but with notable differences. Data centers across Europe and in other Asia-Pacific markets, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, are evolving and moving away from traditional practices based on specific regional issues related to privacy, data controls, and sustainability. For example, compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is driving difficult decisions around data management worldwide. These issues, along with closer attention to environmental impacts, are leading to a new focus on hybrid architectures and the value of on-premises computing and data storage. In China, some data centers have been using 240V DC power in manufacturer-modified servers to improve efficiency and reduce costs. DC power has long been a theoretical goal for US data centers, and it's not hard to imagine other parts of the world adopting the model that is currently being implemented in China.