Out-Law News 1 min. read
18 Apr 2013, 8:00 am
Data centre provider Digital Realty said that its survey of large EU companies revealed that the majority plan to expand their data centres either this year or next.
The survey, conducted in January, revealed that 88% of those responsible for data centre operations said that they would "definitely or probably expand their data centres" in 2013 or 2014. A quarter of the 201 respondents said that would definitely expand this year, compared to 22% who said last year that they would, Digital Realty said.
The respondents were based at UK, French, German and Spanish businesses with an annual turnover of at least £500 million or €500 million or at least 2,000 employees, as well as at Dutch and Irish businesses with a turnover of at least £250 million or €250 million or at least 1,000 staff.
The survey revealed that the demand for data centre expansion is greatest among UK-based companies, whilst it also detailed the reasons behind such expansion plans.
"The main reasons given for data centre expansion are, in order of importance, the need for security, disaster recovery, and power issues (the supply/reliability of power, and maintaining efficiency)," Digital Realty said.
Businesses are generally looking for data centres that are "slightly more compact" than they were a year ago, whilst the foremost concerns in data centre planning centre on "the supply and reliability of power, and maintaining efficiency to minimize the power requirements of the data centre," according to the survey.
London is the most popular location for locating a new data centre, with Paris and Frankfurt the next most popular.
"Despite the influence of continuing economic uncertainty in Europe, demand for data centre space remains strong," Bernard Geoghegan, Digital Realty's managing director in Europe, said. "It seems to suggest that adapting to these conditions and readying the organisations for a return of improved economic conditions can be well served through IT and the data centre. Security and disaster recovery requirements remain at the forefront, particularly in light of recent global events, so it is critical for suppliers to demonstrate a strong pedigree in being able to deliver appropriate solutions."