• About Us
  • Partnership Opportunities
  • Privacy Policy

Data Center Frontier

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing.

  • Cloud
    • Hyperscale
  • Colo
    • Site Selection
    • Interconnection
  • Energy
    • Sustainability
  • Cooling
  • Technology
    • Internet of Things
    • AI & Machine Learning
    • Edge Computing
    • Virtual Reality
    • Autonomous Cars
    • 5G Wireless
    • Satellites
  • Design
    • Servers
    • Storage
    • Network
  • Voices
  • Podcast
  • White Papers
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
    • Events
    • Newsletter
    • Companies
    • Data Center 101
  • Jobs
You are here: Home / Voices of the Industry / IoT & AI Changing the Face of Data Centers as 2020 Nears

IoT & AI Changing the Face of Data Centers as 2020 Nears

By Voices of the Industry - December 2, 2019

IoT & AI Changing the Face of Data Centers as 2020 Nears

Servers inside a Facebook hyperscale data center in North Carolina. (Photo: Rich Miller)

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Marc Cram, Director of Sales for Server Technology, explores how the data demands and more of the IoT and AI are changing the tech and data center industry. Explore what’s in store for 2020, right around the corner. 

IoT

Marc Cram, Director of Sales, Server Technology

In the world of 2019, we are living on the cusp of a major uptake in advanced technologies that promise to bring new levels of prosperity and convenience to people around the globe. The buildout of 5G wireless and fiber networks will create new jobs and new business models while enabling the transport of the anticipated tsunami of data coming from the uptake of IoT sensors, 5G-enabled handsets, and smart city efforts. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be deployed in countless IoT applications and locations to selectively route data traffic, provide spoken language interfaces, and optimize energy consumption.

As we approach 2020, we are already seeing open source software stacks that run on open hardware platforms to deliver edge computing, cloud computing, open radio access networks (O-RAN), IoT applications and artificial intelligence. Kubernetes, Akraino, and TensorFlow are but a few examples of the software efforts deployed or under way. The Open Compute Project (OCP) has become the leading repository for open source hardware designs donated by companies such as Facebook, Microsoft and Google.

The number and variety of sensors and devices having onboard wired or wireless connectivity supporting IPv4 and IPv6 continues to grow at an accelerating pace. Semiconductor companies are enabling a wide variety of protocols for putting things onto a network, such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, LowPAN, LoRa, LoRaWAN, NFC, Wi-Fi6, LTE, 5G, and 10/100/1000 ethernet.

As smart cities seek to provide greater amounts of data and convenience applications for their citizens, sensors will be deployed to monitor ever wider swaths of infrastructure (Image: Server Technology)

So far, every software application has to run on a power-consuming hardware device, and most data generating sensors consume power. Until the gene twisters of the world figure out how to embed Wi-Fi or some other low-power networking interface into our DNA, communicating with these devices and sensors will continue to require handheld or other mobile power-consuming electronics of some sort to deliver meaningful, actionable intelligence to the individual. Cell phones take DC power in, and consume DC power as they display email or stream video. Edge and cloud servers take AC or DC power in, and consume DC power at the CPU to serve web pages and play online games. Networking hardware takes in AC or DC power, and consumes DC power in order to route and switch data between ports and the internet.

As smart cities seek to provide greater amounts of data and convenience applications for their citizens, sensors will be deployed to monitor ever wider swaths of infrastructure: water, sewer, electric, lighting, bridges, road conditions and pothole locations, street parking, park occupancy, public restrooms availability, escalator and elevator availability, door access, subway and light rail schedules, bus schedules, delivery drone locations, and active signage status will all be available to everyone, 24 hours a day.

The number and variety of sensors and devices having onboard wired or wireless connectivity supporting IPv4 and IPv6 continues to grow at an accelerating pace.

5G-enabled smartphones will embed dedicated AI chips to improve the quality of spoken interfaces and optimize battery life. New sensors in the smartphone will provide more detailed health and wellness data, while new software applications will deliver heretofore unrivaled experiences through augmented and virtual reality.

Each new application, each piece of information, takes electrical power to be created, transported, stored, analyzed and displayed. At Legrand, we are committed to provide sustainable power, access, and control solutions for the edge, cloud, core, mobile and smart city infrastructure used daily by billions of people around the world.

Marc Cram is Director of Sales for Server Technology. 

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Tagged With: Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Internet of Things, Server Technology

Newsletters

Stay informed: Get our weekly updates!

Are you a new reader? Follow Data Center Frontier on Twitter or Facebook.
voices@richmiller.biz'

About Voices of the Industry

Our Voice of the Industry feature showcases guest articles on thought leadership from sponsors of Data Center Frontier. For more information, see our Voices of the Industry description and guidelines..

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Voices of the Industry

Building an Enduring World Begins with Accountability and Defining an Approach for Long-term Success

Building an Enduring World Begins with Accountability and Defining an Approach for Long-term Success TJ Faze, Head of ESG Strategy and Engagement at Vertiv, outlines the company's learnings around its recent ESG efforts.

White Papers

Gaming

From Console to Cloud

This white paper from Iron Mountain explores the current challenges, drivers, and opportunities for gaming digital infrastructure.

Get this PDF emailed to you.

We always respect your privacy and we never sell or rent our list to third parties. By downloading this White Paper you are agreeing to our terms of service. You can opt out at any time.

DCF Spotlight

Data center modules on display at the recent Edge Congress conference in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Rich Miller)

Edge Computing is Poised to Remake the Data Center Landscape

Data center leaders are investing in edge computing and edge solutions and actively looking at new ways to deploy edge capacity to support evolving business and user requirements.

An aerial view of major facilities in Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia. (Image: Loudoun County)

Northern Virginia Data Center Market: The Focal Point for Cloud Growth

The Northern Virginia data center market is seeing a surge in supply and an even bigger surge in demand. Data Center Frontier explores trends, stats and future expectations for the No. 1 data center market in the country.

See More Spotlight Features

Newsletters

Get the Latest News from Data Center Frontier

Job Listings

RSS Job Openings | Pkaza Critical Facilities Recruiting

  • MEP Coordinator - Data Center Construction - Ashburn, VA
  • Data Center Facility Engineer - Chantilly, VA
  • Data Center Site Operations VP - Seattle, WA
  • Senior Electrical Engineer - Data Center - Denver, CO
  • Senior Estimator - Data Center Construction - Denver, CO

See More Jobs

Data Center 101

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Open Spectrum, brings our readers a series that provides an introductory guidebook to the ins and outs of the data center and colocation industry. Think power systems, cooling, solutions, data center contracts and more. The Data Center 101 Special Report series is directed to those new to the industry, or those of our readers who need to brush up on the basics.

  • Data Center Power
  • Data Center Cooling
  • Strategies for Data Center Location
  • Data Center Pricing Negotiating
  • Cloud Computing

See More Data center 101 Topics

About Us

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing. We write about what’s next for the Internet, and the innovations that will take us there. We tell the story of the digital economy through the data center facilities that power cloud computing and the people who build them. Read more ...
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Our Founder

Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 20 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution. Meet the DCF team.

TOPICS

  • 5G Wireless
  • Cloud
  • Colo
  • Connected Cars
  • Cooling
  • Cornerstone
  • Coronavirus
  • Design
  • Edge Computing
  • Energy
  • Executive Roundtable
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Hyperscale
  • Interconnection
  • Internet of Things
  • Machine Learning
  • Network
  • Podcast
  • Servers
  • Site Selection
  • Social Business
  • Special Reports
  • Storage
  • Sustainability
  • Videos
  • Virtual Reality
  • Voices of the Industry
  • Webinar
  • White Paper

Copyright Endeavor Business Media© 2022