I have been staring at this post on DCD for a while to write my own post, then I realized the post was written by Schneider Electric SVP for APAC, Philippe Arsonneau.
ASIA PACIFIC’S POWER CHALLENGE
Will power will take on new importance in 2014?
10 February 2014 by Schneider Electric SVP for APAC, Philippe Arsonneau
burning power: Singapore at night
One of the major trends we see for businesses moving into the New Year is the need for green, efficient IT, especially in Asia Pacific. As IT demands increase, so too does the data center’s power expenditure. Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan notes that more than 80% of the major data centers in Asia Pacific are running at close to 90% capacity. Companies across the region are struggling to cope with changes while data center capacity is constrained by inefficient equipment and stranded power.
I found this post useful to provide information on what is the current state of power in Asia that I have heard from friends. Until I find a public disclosure though, I didn't feel comfortable writing about the situation.
Here are some good facts.
In terms of energy efficient data centers, parts of Asia – particularly the developing South East Asian countries – are falling behind due to a combination of factors including poor internet connectivity infrastructure (Indonesia), unstable power and inadequate power supply (Malaysia), developing standards (Vietnam). The more established countries include the likes of Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. But that’s not to say they don’t also face challenges.
Part of why companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have built data centers in Singapore is the stable power infrastructure.
Singapore is a very mature market in terms of technology compared to emerging countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. The Singapore IDA initiated its iN2015 master plan in 2005 to grow the infocomm sector and build up IT infrastructure. This initiative encouraged many major players to set up their data centers as early as almost a decade ago.
The call to action is good. You can’t just think of the data center in isolation of the IT load. The opportunities are to think of the synergy between the facilities and the IT load.
What is required in 2014?
Effective and comprehensive energy management goes beyond IT. As such, senior IT executives will need to work closely with their facility management colleagues to put in place a comprehensive energy management strategy. They will also need to develop a more holistic and end-to-end approach towards their data center strategy and energy management as opposed to seeking piecemeal solutions such as server virtualization or DCIM.
To operate energy efficient and reliable data centers that are able to cope with the exponential growth of data brought on by smart cities, it is important that business take a holistic and end-to-end approach towards their data center strategy.
