Containerized Data Center Shipments To Grow 40 Percent In 2013
Shipments of containerized data centers are forecast to grow 40 percent in 2013 compared to 2012, following a near doubling of the market in 2012. Containerized solutions have been around since 2005, but only in the last two years has the market begun to establish itself. These findings are from an upcoming report on the industry from IMS Research, recently acquired by IHS Inc.
IMS Research has defined a containerized data center as a pre-fabricated, fully enclosed, mobile, structure that houses data center infrastructure. Within that definition three distinct product types were identified: all-in-one, IT, and facility containers. Shipments of IT containers will account for the greatest share in 2012. One facility container often supports multiple IT containers, which has an effect on ratios. The figure below shows how the product share will shift over the next five years, with IT and facility containers growing faster than all-in-one solutions.