The 2016 Data Center Trends
Survey
DCD Intelligence
September 2016
CONTENTS: FROM THE 2016 DATA CENTER TRENDS SURVEY
FIGURES
SUBJECT
BACKGROUND & COMMENTS
1&2
Who completed the survey by region & organisation type
3&4
Key data center characteristics 2015 - 2017
5&6
Key data center characteristics by region & organisation type
7&8
IT infrastructure profile change 2015 - 2017
9 & 10
IT infrastructure profile change by region & organisation type
11
Data center investment 2015 – 2017
12
Data center investment profile by region & organisation type
PROJECT BACKGROUND & COMMENTS
This report has been prepared for respondents to the 2016 DCDi Data Center Solutions
Survey. It shares some of the key findings of the survey and is based on data from the survey
which was conducted online in June and July 2016.
The sample of organisations assisting with the sample account for some 12% to 15% of global
data centers in terms of racks and space, and 17% of power consumption. The sample draws
from all areas of the world (as the questions were translated into a number of languages) and
from all major organisational types.
The findings indicate clearly the continuing path that these organisations are taking towards
outsourcing, virtualisation and cloud. Investment (from 2015 to 2017) in these IT
infrastructure options is running at over three times the rate of ‘bricks and mortar’
investment.
The levels of technological engagement and investment between different areas of the world
is diminishing. Gaps between what were traditionally viewed as ‘established’ and ‘emerging’
markets are reducing fast. In this, colocation providers are emerging as the means for
companies wishing to access and develop IT systems that combine the benefits of a multisourced portfolio.
Sample Profile (Figures 1 & 2)
The profile of the organisations taking part in this research indicate a balance of
different regions of the world, and of different types of organisation.
It should be noted that these percentages are based on the sample of respondents.
Overall, 845 organisations responded to the survey.
Who completed the survey by region & organisation type: %
sample
Figure 1: Organisation Type
Other sectors
10.2%
Business
Services
8.9%
Telco & media
12.9%
Colocation
11.6%
Figure 2: Region
Europe,
22.8%
IT & cloud
services
14.8%
Production &
manufacturing
13.3%
Personal &
social services
6.5%
Government
8.3%
Middle
East &
Africa,
10.9%
Asia
Pacific,
21.3%
Finance
13.5%
North
America,
18.4%
Latin
America,
26.6%
Key data center characteristics 2015 – 2017 (Figures 3 & 4)
The personnel taking part in this research are responsible for 1,200,000 square metres
of data center space, 405,000 racks and they own or operate facilities with a combined
power capacity of 1.9 GW. Survey participants are responsible for 27% of their
organisation’s global ‘footprint’ which means, at 2015, their organisations combined
account for 13% of estimated global space (based on data centers 100 m2 or larger),
14% of estimated racks and 17% of power capacity. Note that figures in this report
refer to the sample rather than to population estimates.
The average power density (IT only) across the sample is 3.8 kW/rack at 2015, with an
averaged maximum density of 9.6 kW/rack. This suggests that the sample here have a
higher than average power requirement which would fit with the higher proportion of
global power they represent in comparison to their proportion of space and racks.
The total number of racks will grow by 4-5% each year from 2015 to 2017. Average rack
densities will increase only marginally while maximum densities will increase by almost
25% over the two years charted.
Key data center characteristics 2015 – 2017 (Sample Data)
Figure 3: Total sample racks
460,000
444,000
440,000
420,000
426,000
409,000
400,000
380,000
2016
2017
Figure 4: Average & Maximum Rack density (kW/rack)
Average kW/rack
Maximum kW/rack
15
kW/rack
2015
10
5
12.04
9.64
10.36
3.78
3.85
3.92
2015
2016
2017
0
Source: DCD Intelligence, 2016
Figure 5: Key data center characteristics by region
Average Racks/Facility
Growth 2015 > 2017
Average Density
Growth 2015 > 2017
Maximum Density
Growth 2015 > 2017
Asia
Pacific
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
Africa
North
America
190
180
70
60
290
8.1%
4.4%
4.3%
5.6%
4.5%
3.7
4.3
5.8
4.3
4.7
5.0%
3.3%
2.3%
2.9%
2.6%
8.9
13.2
9.4
9.3
14.7
11.1%
7.3%
6.0%
6.0%
8.6%
Figure 6: Key data center characteristics by organisation type
Average
Racks/Facility
Colo.
+
Telco
Finance
Public
IT
Services
Manuf. +
Production
Services
Other
240
130
60
215
56
140
135
3.2%
2.7%
9.9%
5.3%
4.2%
2.2%
5.6
5.3
4.0
6.3
5.6
4.9
4.5
5.7%
3.5%
4.7%
5.6%
3.5%
2.5%
1.2%
10.7
11.5
11.4
14.6
11.3
13.2
11.6
8.2%
10.6%
2.7%
1.8%
5.9%
2.7%
Growth 2015 >
10.2%
2017
Average Density
Growth 2015 >
2017
Maximum
Density
Growth 2015 >
2017 12.1%
IT infrastructure profile 2015 – 2017 (Figures 7 & 8)
The two charts on the next page indicate the increasing reliance on virtual, and
hybrid/cloud delivery of IT systems and services:
•
•
At 2015, hybrid (cloud) systems accounted for 11% of the sample’s footprint; by 2017,
this will rise to 16%.
For virtualisation, the proportion will rise from 17% to 23%.
The net change among sample organisations, that is the proportion adopting for the first
time or increasing minus those stopping or decreasing, indicates an increase in the use of
colocation, largely as an access to cloud and hybrid services and steady, high increases in
hybrid and virtual IT systems and, at a lower level, in direct use of public cloud options.
IT infrastructure profile 2015 - 2017
Figure 7: Sample Racks Hosting Virtualisations &
Hybrid Environments
Virtualisations
150
50
54
65
2015
2016
2017
20%
10%
29.4%
30%
23.5%
40%
2016 to 2017
24.3%
2015 to 2016
33.5%
Figure 8: Net growth in organisations investing
in IT infrastructure options 2015 to 2017
15.9%
0
45
16.8%
71
15.9%
100
102
85
4.8%
Racks x 1,000
Hybrid environments
0%
Colocation
Public Cloud
Hybrid Cloud Virtualisations
Figure 9: IT infrastructure profile change by region
NET INCREASE 2016 to 2017
(ORGANISATIONS)
Asia
Pacific
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
Africa
North
America
Colocation
28.0%
14.9%
12.5%
5.1%
20.5%
Public Cloud
28.2%
16.9%
17.4%
5.4%
8.5%
Hybrid Systems
31.0%
29.2%
19.0%
13.6%
18.2%
Virtualisation
33.7%
33.7%
29.8%
16.9%
20.5%
Figure 10: IT infrastructure profile change by organisation type
NET INCREASE 2016
to 2017
(ORGANISATIONS)
Colo.
+
Telco
Finance
Public
IT
Services
Manuf. +
Production
Services
Other
Colocation
32.3%
9.6%
13.3%
17.3%
1.3%
14.4%
9.3%
Public Cloud
25.6%
9.6%
6.7%
28.4%
15.3%
12.0%
5.6%
Hybrid Systems
38.3%
11.0%
13.3%
28.4%
18.1%
22.9%
13.0%
Virtualisation
36.8%
21.9%
33.3%
33.3%
22.2%
33.7%
14.8%
‘On-premise’ data center & other IT infrastructure investments
2015 – 2017 (Figure 11)
In the two year period from 2015 to 2016 the sample indicates that:
•
•
Investment in data center fit out and equipment will increase by a total of 10.2%, and
Investment across all of IT infrastructure including the deployment of cloud,
virtualisation, colocation and in other hosting services as well as in ‘on-premise’ data
centers will increase by 32.2%.
The striking difference between the rates of growth may in part be accounted for by a
relatively small sample. Yet this does indicate the extent to which the physical data center
is being supplanted by outsourcing and by IT architectures and facility/service delivery
models.
Figure 11: ‘On-premise’ data center & other IT infrastructure
investments 2015 – 2017
USD million
Facility Fit out
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
943
Other IT infrastructure
1052
1256
537
571
592
2015
2016
2017
Figure 12: ‘On-premise’ data center & other IT infrastructure
investments by region & organisation type
% Increase in Investment
2015 to 2017
Asia
Pacific
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
Africa
North
America
Data center fit out
8.6%
-0.8%
8.2%
9.7%
3.7%
Overall IT infrastructure
28.2%
16.9%
36.3%
36.4%
38.5%
% Increase in
Investment 2015 to
2017
Colo. +
Telco
Finance
Public
IT Services
Manuf. +
Production
Services
Other
Data center fit out
20.7%
12.1%
-2.1%
22.4%
2.7%
6.9%
-9.1%
Overall IT
infrastructure
35.5%
17.6%
41.2%
44.2%
23.6%
22.1%
13.2%
For more information contact:
DCD Intelligence
Nick Parfitt
Senior Global Analyst
nick.parfitt@datacenterdynamics.com
It should be noted that while every care has been taken in the collection, analysis, validation and publication of the data
included here, decisions taken wholly or partly on the basis of this document remain the sole responsibility of the reader.