Why data centers need to move towards sustainability

Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing are becoming more advanced and their capabilities are increasing. The integration of these technologies into business processes, and the move away from traditional data centers towards collocation, means there is a growing need for increased data center capacity from hyper-scalers to keep up with data demand.

The data center market is already on a robust growth trajectory as the number of hyperscale sites have tripled since 2013, with more than 500 data centers worldwide, and this expansion shows no signs of stopping. While the majority of cloud and internet data sites (40%) can still be found in the US, the highest growth can be seen in the EMEA region.

As most data from the African continent is stored and processed in either the US or Europe, there is a demand for local data centers in order to reduce latency and reduce costs. I have seen the impact that local data centers have on an economy by acting as an engine of economic growth, innovation and accessibility.

Microsoft have already opened data centers in Africa, located in Johannesburg and Cape Town, allowing customers in the region to gain global reach, scalability and security safeguards that ensure compliance with standards and regulations.

The UAE data centers – Microsoft’s first cloud regions in the Middle East – have empowered customers and partners by providing the region with scalable, resilient cloud services while retaining data residency which will help to drive innovation and digital transformation. These data centers are also expected to lead to the creation of jobs and thus economic growth.

Microsoft intends to grow the number of data centers in the Middle East and Africa in order to support the region as it delves into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The expansion of Microsoft’s data centers in MEA will mean better access and performance of cloud computing through Azure and will give businesses increased agility and capability in the realms of AI, IoT, blockchain and more.

It’s clear that data centers are an invaluable piece of infrastructure and are essential to business operations across the globe. But, why do they need to be sustainable?

Reducing environmental impact

Data centers require a significant amount of uninterrupted power for processing, memory, network, and data storage as well as for cooling and heating, making them particularly energy inefficient.

The exponential growth in the release of greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere has resulted in the rise in average temperature of the planet, leading to global warming and an unstable climate. To lessen the negative effects of climate change and ensure a high quality of life for future generations, it is important that we ensure that technologies have a positive impact on people, communities, and the environment.

Microsoft recently announced its intention to shift to 100% supply of renewable energy for all its data centers by 2025 as part of the move from being carbon neutral to carbon negative by 2030.

Increased optimal efficiencies

Sustainable data centers equal higher efficiencies. Using greener power sources means a significant reduction in costs and thus increased profitability. The cost to build data centers has increased exponentially in the last decade. Becoming sustainable would, however, mean a considerable reduction in that cost.

 As the world becomes more socially conscious, I believe that being sustainable can build trust with customers and even attract or retain employees which could result in a rise in productivity.

The effort to become more sustainable fosters innovation, as often is the case when trying to find solutions to a vital but difficult challenge. All of this can lead to a higher return on investment that offsets the costs of going green.

Sustainability is an important goal for the global good, and ensuring that technology is sustainable as we move towards a world in which technology is more deeply entrenched in our lives is critical. As the importance of, and demand for, data centers grow we must make certain that their environmental impact is lessened and safeguard a better future for all.