Emerson Network Power has announced the launch of “Data Center 2025.” The industry-wide initiative is designed to engage thought leaders from all corners of the data center industry in order to explore potential visions for the data center of the future.
The four-month, global initiative will include input from data center providers and managers, OEMs, industry analysts, media and others from the data center and IT communities. It will include surveys, interviews, social media engagement and reviews of existing forecasts, with some results shared virtually in real time at www.EmersonNetworkPower.com/DataCenter2025 and through social media. Complete results will be included in a report to be released at AFCOM Data Center World, April 28-May 2 in Las Vegas.
“Our industry is and always has been driven by innovation,” said Steve Hassell, president of Emerson Network Power’s Data Center Solutions business. “As an industry, we must maintain a sharp focus on the horizon in order to not just meet our customers’ changing needs but to drive the data center industry in smart, responsible ways. Our intent with this initiative is to provide a lens through which many various perspectives on a longer-term future may be viewed and evaluated.”
To guide the conversation and provide a starting point for input, Emerson established potential scenarios for the future of computing. They reflect potential directions the industry could go based on evolution of existing technologies and emergence of disruptive technologies. Over the next four months, Emerson will ask the industry to predict how those scenarios might impact various aspects of the data center — and how, in turn, the data center might evolve to support those models.
“What kind of converged technologies will be available, and how will they change the data center model?” Hassell asked. “Where will these facilities be located? How will they be powered and managed? What skill sets will data center and IT personnel need to possess? These are just a few of the questions we want to offer for discussion, and we are genuinely excited to engage in those conversations.”
Data center and IT professionals are encouraged to participate. They can learn more about the potential 2025 scenarios, comment, and complete the survey at www.EmersonNetworkPower.com/DataCenter2025, or email thoughts or questions to DataCenter2025@Emerson.com.