- DataCenters.buzz
- Posts
- DataCenters.buzz - Aug. 17-23, 2024
DataCenters.buzz - Aug. 17-23, 2024
Weekly 'buzz' on DataCenters powering global AI, Cloud, Cyber, Quantum, Security & Tech Frontiers.
DataCenters Team
August 23, 2024
DataCenters.buzz - Aug. 17-23, 2024
Powering Global AI, Cloud, Cyber, Quantum, Security & Tech Frontiers
Table of Contents
DataCenter Approvals, Expansions, New Builds
Edged Data Centers Launches Facility in Atlanta - Data center provider Edged Energy has launched its first North American data center in Atlanta, Georgia. The first of the three datacenter is now live, delivering 27MW of capacity. At full build-out, the campus will offer 168MW of IT capacity. The co. broke ground on the facility in July 2023. (Source: DataCenterDynamics)
Supply in primary markets increased by 10% or 515.0 megawatts (MW) in H1 2024 and by 24% or 1,100.5 MW year-over-year.
The overall vacancy rate for primary markets fell to a record-low 2.8% in H1 2024 from 3.3% a year earlier, while the overall vacancy rate for secondary markets fell to 9.7% from 12.7% over the past year.
Under-construction activity in primary markets hit a record-high 3,871.8 MW, up by 69% from a year earlier. However, a shortage of available power and longer lead times for electrical infrastructure continued to delay construction completions.
(Source: CBRE)
Earlier news:
Tract Secures Approval for $20 Billion Data Center in Buckeye (CRO) - Buckeye, Arizona is poised to emerge as a center for the data center sector following the approval of a $20 billion planned data center complex. Tract, headquartered in Denver has been granted approval by the city to develop a 2,000 acre campus marking an advancement in the areas economic and technological landscape.
AI, Cloud & Edge Computing
Why Combining Edge Computing and AI is Crucial for Resiliency and Innovation - A recent whitepaper outlines the growth of edge technologies and how organizations can save costs and innovate faster by investing in these platforms. According to a new IDC report, that growth is turbocharging business outcomes. However, it also raises the stakes for developing better AI inferencing at the network edge to ensure operational resiliency, efficiency and security. (Fedscoop)
Democratizing AI With Edge Computing: Putting Intelligence In Every Device - The potential of AI to transform businesses is undeniable. But modern companies now face a new challenge: how to take advantage of this complex concept. This is where the edge can be a catalyst for AI deployments and embedding intelligence in the devices that companies use and rely on every day. You may ask yourself, “Why edge computing?” as the vessel to liberate AI usage for businesses. The answers are pretty straightforward: cost, availability, latency and security. The prevalence of edge devices in modern organizations makes these versatile pieces of hardware the ideal opportunity to leverage AI. (Forbes)
Edge Computing: How this computing revolution is reshaping our world. What exactly is edge computing, and why should it matter to you? Challenges & Opportunities - While the potential of edge computing is immense, it’s not without challenges. Security concerns, standardization issues, and the need for robust management tools are hurdles that the industry must overcome. However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation and growth. (Fast Company)
Are You Ready for the AI of Things? - AI & edge computing are revolutionizing the Internet of Things. Here’s an update. (BuiltIn)
Earlier news:
Edge Data Center Demand is Skyrocketing - Edge data centers are set for a boom thanks to the growth in Internet of Things (IoT) and generative AI technologies, according to new research. … (ITPro)
How the Gen AI Boom is Fueling the Edge Data Centre Market - Globally, the growth of edge computing will be influenced by not only the emergence of several technology-based megatrends, but also the need for faster data transfer and high computation. … (DCMag)
DataCenter Economics & Investments
Google To Invest More than $1B in Texas This Year To Support Its Cloud & Data Center Infrastructure - Google's "Dallas cloud region," first announced in 2022, includes sprawling data center campuses in the North Texas cities of Midlothian and Red Oak. At a press conference in Midlothian, the company announced an additional $1 billion investment in Texas, for a total of over $2.7 billion invested in the state to date. (Dallas Innovates)
Earlier news:
Big Tech Companies Investing Billions in AI Data Centers - Major technology companies are gearing up to make massive investments in AI data centers, according to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. During a talk at Stanford University, Schmidt revealed that these companies are looking to invest billions of dollars into Nvidia-based AI data centers, with estimated costs reaching up to $300 billion. (Zaman.co)
Energy & Sustainability
Meta Signs 150-MW Geothermal Power Purchase Agreement with Sage Geosystems - Meta will purchase geothermal power from Sage Geosystems' proprietary Geopressured Geothermal Systems to power their data centers in the US. The agreement was announced during the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Catalyzing Next Generation Geothermal Development Workshop in Washington. At the event, executives from Sage and Meta joined U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk and other government officials and energy stakeholders to discuss the opportunity and growth of geothermal as a growing carbon-free energy source in the U.S. (ThinkGeoEnergy)
Open Compute Project Seeks Standard for Concrete, with Help from AWS, Google, Meta, and Microsoft - The role concrete plays in the datacenter is well-known: It provides the solid foundation on which the racks rest, and is present in other structural elements. Using low-carbon concrete therefore offers datacenter builders and operators the chance to meet the emission-reduction goals they've set – and help their tenants reach their own goals – by reducing the quantity of CO2 embedded in a building. Concrete emits lots of CO2 for 2 reasons; one is that the cement component of concrete is often made with limestone, which releases the gas as it's heated, and energy needed to make cement is also a big contributor to concrete-related emissions. The Open Compute Project, the org best known for offering designs for hyperscale hardware, has rounded up AWS, Google, Meta, and Microsoft to help it grow the use of low-carbon concrete. (The Register)
Google: New Ways We're Advancing our Clean Energy Commitments in the U.S - We’re announcing collaborative efforts with Energix Renewables and Swift Current Energy that support decarbonizing the electricity that supplies our operations in Ohio and Virginia. (Source: Google). Also see: Google to Increase Geothermal Power Supply to Data Centers via Nevada Utility (ThinkGeoEnergy)
Earlier news:
Microsoft: Sustainable by Design, Transforming Datacenter Water Efficiency - Last month, we unveiled our Datacenter Community Pledge, emphasizing that datacenters are not only the backbone of modern technology but also a force for good in the communities they serve. As part of this commitment, at Microsoft we recognize our crucial role in protecting and replenishing freshwater resources both in the regions where we operate and around the world. we are sharing more about two focus areas for continuing to drive down water intensity: (1) conserving water at every stage of operations, and (2) innovative technologies that reduce the amount of water needed for cooling. (Microsoft)
Power-hungry AI Data Centers are Raising Electric Bills and Blackout risk - In Santa Clara — the heart of Silicon Valley — electric rates are rising as the municipal utility spends heavily on transmission lines and other infrastructure to accommodate the voracious power demand from more than 50 data centers, which now consume 60% of the city’s electricity. (LA Times)
Why AI Demands a Greater Focus on Data Centre Sustainability - The business world is being changed every day by the impact of AI. Up to a third of European businesses have adopted AI, representing a 32% growth rate over the previous year. That growth in demand has put pressure on energy grids, supplies and other resources, such as land and water. (DCMag)
Gas pipeline players in talks to fuel AI datacenter demand - Utility tapped out? Why not build your own? Proximity to natural gas lines could become just as desirable for datacenter operators as high-speed fiber-optic networks as they scramble to satiate AI's ever growing thirst for power. (TheRegister)
Equinix Pilots Use of Fuel Cell in 'shipping container' Outside Datacenter - Future of low carbon sustainable tech? Not so fast, this is still a trial and only for backup power. (TheRegister)
US utilities signal booming demand from data centers as AI takes root - US utilities are finally inking concrete supply deals with data-center operators. (ET Telecom)
AI supercharges data center energy use – straining the grid and slowing sustainability efforts (The Conversation)
Geopolitics, Global & Sovereigns
Mubadala Invests In Leading Global Hyperscale Data Center Developer Yondr Group - Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign investor managing a global portfolio, aimed at generating sustainable financial returns for the Government of Abu Dhabi, has announced its investment in Yondr Group, a global hyperscale data center developer. Yondr, headquartered in London, provides scalable data center infrastructure for major blue chip technology players and has a contracted and reserved capacity of 878 MW, with 58 MW currently operational. (Mubadala), Also see: Yondr Secures Approval for Third Data Center on London Campus
The Pros and Cons of Sovereign Clouds - The global distribution of cloud data centers raises serious concerns about regional data privacy laws. Can sovereign clouds help to ease those doubts? (TechTarget)
Earlier news:
Egypt Launched the First Government Data Center - The Data and Cloud Computing Center is the first center for analyzing and processing big data and artificial intelligence in Egypt and North Africa, saving time, effort and money, thus enhancing new investment opportunities. (CIO)
Top 11 Data Centre Projects in India 2024 (AIM) - In recent months, several companies, including AdaniConnex, Reliance, Sify, Atlassian, Yotta, and AWS, have announced substantial investments in data centres across India. AWS alone plans to invest $12.7 billion to expand its data centres in the country.
Only Indian companies can bid for GPU procurement: centre (IndiaTimes/ET) The government will allow only India-incorporated companies to participate in the tender process to procure graphic processing units (GPUs) and provide services to users under the India Artificial Intelligence (IndiaAI) Mission, sources told ET.
FEATURED Press Release - Siemens Strengthens Data Center Presence with New Center of Competence for APAC
Hyperscalers & Mag 7+
APAC countries, among the world's top 20 locations for hyperscale data centres - New data from Synergy shows that three APAC countries, China (Beijing and Shanghai), Japan, and Singapore, are among the world's top 20 locations for hyperscale data centres. The data also revealed that just twenty state or metro markets account for 62% of the world's current hyperscale data center capacity, with Northern Virginia and the Greater Beijing Area alone making up 22%. (Source - FutureCIO)
Earlier news:
Here's what AWS, Microsoft and Google's capex plans mean for data center growth (FIERCE Network) - If you thought AWS, Google and Microsoft were big now, just wait until 2029. Though hyperscalers only accounted for around 20% of all global data center capacity in 2017, that number is set to hit nearly 60% by 2029, according to new forecast from Synergy Research Group.Hyperscalers will account for nearly 60% of data center capacity by 2029 and half of global data center capex by 2026.
Dublin, Beijing, and Northern Virginia all have one thing in common – sprawling hyperscale data center infrastructure (ITPro) - The global hyperscale data center market is highly centralized, with the US and China leading the pack – but expansion in other regions is growing. Dublin is now the world's third-biggest location for hyperscale data centers, according to new research, ranked only behind Northern Virginia and the Greater Beijing area.
If the world had a hyperscale datacenter capital, it would be… Northern Virginia (TheRegister) - If you guessed Beijing, sorry – but it is number 2, according to Synergy Research figures.
Infrastructure, Security & Technology
3 Key Approaches to Data Center Automation: RPA vs. AI vs. Intelligent Automation (StateTech) - State and local governments can increase the sophistication of their operations with these capabilities.
Case study: How a data centre services provider built robust cybersecurity using AI/ML (EY) - Data Centre Colocation service provider STT GDC India transformed cybersecurity with AI and ML by building a unified view of threats across its on-premise and cloud environments.
Kaspersky to Build Data Center in China Amid Growing Cybersecurity Concerns (w.media) - Global cybersecurity giant Kaspersky is doubling down on its commitment to the Chinese market with plans to establish a new data center in South China. This strategic move comes as the country accelerates its push to build a robust digital infrastructure while grappling with escalating cybersecurity challenges.
Quantum-readiness, Hybrid & Co-Location
Quantum Computers, Coming to a Data Center Near You (IEEE) - Getting quantum and classical hardware to coexist takes deft engineering. Quantum processors are expected to massively outperform classical ones on certain problems, but for many computing tasks they offer little advantage. That’s leading to a growing focus on hybrid computing systems that could combine the best of both approaches.
Colocating Quantum with Classical Computers: Building New Hybrid Data Centers (HPC Wire) - The primary motivation for colocating quantum and classical computers lies in the complementary nature of their computational strengths. Classical computers excel at handling well-defined, large-scale data processing tasks efficiently. Quantum computers, on the other hand, offer unparalleled potential for solving certain types of problems that are computationally infeasible for classical systems, such as factoring large numbers, optimizing complex systems, and simulating molecular structures with high precision.
DataCenter Workforce & Talent
Data centers need to ‘reboot’ their image to attract young workers (DCD) - A recent survey by the Uptime Institute reveals a stark reality: over half (53 percent) of data center operators report significant difficulties in finding qualified personnel. This marks a troubling 15 percent increase since 2018, highlighting a growing talent gap. As experienced veterans in the data center industry approach retirement, the industry faces an additional hurdle: positioning data centers as sleek, alluring tech hubs to compete with other attractive tech industries for young talent.
👉 Showcase your Company, Tech News or Press Release
FEATURE your existing Press Release (from your company website or a press release site) on DataCenters.buzz and / or AIRevolution.buzz. CREATE a new Press Release showcased on DataCenters.buzz, or AIRevolution.buzz. SHOWCASE your company’s brand and technology-related services on DataCenters.buzz or AIRevolution.buzz with a prominent graphic ad or marketing message. Email [email protected]
🐝 Get even more ‘buzz’ - AI, Housing & Silver Gen 55+
We curate news for AIRevolution.buzz, DataCenters.buzz, Housing.buzz, and Silver.buzz for 55+ Generations. There’s more ‘buzz’ on the way, too!
Weekly ‘buzz’ on AI transforming industries, economies, careers & more
Weekly 'buzz' on housing, mortgage rates & homeownership
Weekly 55+ 'buzz' on Social Security, Medicare, Long-term Care & Retirement
Repurposed Content Disclaimer: All news and editorial content displayed is curated from other news and information sources and it is not presented as professional advice or instruction. Best efforts were made to excerpt content in a way that preserved the author’s intent and to identify and display the content source, however the content has not been verified. Each headline is hyperlinked to the article from which we excerpted content and attribution is given. To exclude your authored content from our review process and prevent links to your content page/s, please email [email protected].