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The role of data centres in smart cities

Aug 20, 2019
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STT GDC India
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The Role of Data Centres in Smart Cities

 

A smart city is an interconnected network of various equipment and devices which are enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT implies that these devices are constantly gathering, dispensing, storing and working on data. They are ‘smart’ meaning they to talk to each other and improve on their efficiencies too. A smart city will have these structures in many forms such as a smart electricity grid, a smart self-driven car, a smart waste disposal system and so on; apart from the usual smart devices like a smart refrigerator, a smart TV and so on.

 

The need for data centres in smart cities

 

A smart city is basically an ecosystem which enhances sustainability by allowing different facets like technology, environment and economy to come together in a congenial way. As per IDC, the four pillars necessary for the smooth functioning of a smart city are big data, mobile technologies, cloud computing and social business. But what is at the core of a smart city? Data. This data, collected from various internet-connected devices is stored and analysed; and the findings are channelled into the infrastructure in order to improve the Quality of Life.

 

But can you imagine the amount of data that is getting generated here? It is humongous! And also, there will be a need for data to move quickly between various devices and be available instantly. Not surprisingly, the data centre industry will have to undergo major changes in order to accommodate the incessant rise. CXO Today predicts that, “The global data centre construction market accounted for US$ 43.7 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2 per cent during the forecast period 2018 – 2025, to account for US$ 92.9 billion in 2025.” However, we suspect the CAGR will be much steeper than this owing to the dynamic and extensive use of always-on technologies and the need for constant analysis.

 

The new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things, to name a few, are aiding & accelerating Smart Cities. All of these together are presenting the Data Centre industry with a steep learning curve but with an equally big opportunity as well.

 

Challenges that the traditional data centre industry will face in smart cities

 

  - Connectivity and space issues

 

  As increasingly greater number of people move towards the urban areas, the smart cities will be much more densely populated thus reducing the space for data centres. It can be a catch 22 with data centres being required to be omnipresent in order to reduce latency and smart cities running out of free space. This, since the remotely located data centres cannot produce the speed at which devices like autonomous cars etc. may require. And hence, the connectivity issues won’t be far behind. The only way out of this is for the cities to be well-planned enough, leaving scope for future development in today’s blueprints.

 

  - Intertwining DCs with smart grids

 

  An antidote to a data centre’s perpetual problem of consuming too much power or utilizing electricity for cooling purposes, may be the smart grid. Just like any other infrastructural upgrade in the smart cities, smart grids are meant to optimize the power consumption. DCs will have to be integrated with these grids to maintain the resilience, back up and efficiency expected from them.

 

  - Rise of Edge Data centres

 

  The absolute demand for low latency in a smart city will require on-premise data centres which detect and work on deviations immediately. Now, physically, that might not be feasible and hence, the rise of edge data centres. These are located either on-premise or in close proximity. They prove to be much more flexible and resonant with the applications that require lower latencies and/or quick responses.

 

  - More Interconnectivity, More Vulnerability

 

  Smart cities also bring along with them the need for a very fluid interconnectivity and hence the data becomes more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. No industry, least of all data centres, can ignore these dangers. And hence, the onus will be on the DCs, more than ever, to safeguard the data and ensure encryption of the vast amounts collected every second.

 

The new-age technologies like AI, ML, VR etc. are as it is rehashing the entire technology ecosystem and data centres are continuously evolving to keep up. Although Smart Cities will also present Data Centres with a learning curve, they will simultaneously help Data Centres expand their horizons! This won’t be the time to be risk-averse, this is the time to go big and revamp your entire Data Centre Infrastructure Management and look for the slightest opportunities for innovation.

 

 

 

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