4 Modern Data Center Considerations to Develop a Competitive Edge

How do you gain a competitive edge in an extraordinarily connected economy—one where people, businesses and devices are all linked? By providing a platform that sustains growth, drives innovation and ensures security, resiliency and flexibility, a modern data center can become a strategic asset that helps you create this competitive advantage.

When thinking about how to design your data center as a differentiator, consider these four factors.

1. How you’ll simplify connectivity orchestration

Redundant and branched connections, widely distributed WLAN access points and highly available core networks are increasing network complexity, which is making them more difficult to manage. As a result, fewer IT employees are able to memorize the topology.

But new solutions are available to help technology leaders simplify network and connectivity orchestration and management. macmon Topology, part of macmon’s Network Access Control solution, is a good example of a tool that helps IT team members regain control of vastly growing network architectures.

Its graphical representation of your network provides a full view and allows you to easily see which devices are connected. By filtering device properties, technicians can seek out configuration errors or make certain components, such as connections, more visible.

2. How you’ll support new devices and connections

Mobile and wireless coverage have become a vital utility. Downtime isn’t an option because, without connectivity, it’s hard to live our lives—and many systems don’t work properly.

The push to handle high volumes of data from many new devices and connections is skyrocketing. Not only does this increase include the devices that people use 24/7, such as smartphones, laptops and wearables, but also the devices that aren’t controlled or managed by people (PoE LED lighting fixtures, POS systems, surveillance cameras and digital displays, for example). These devices connect directly to the network and operate without manual intervention. Embedded sensors within the devices capture and relay data over networks in real-time.

In addition to more devices, modern data centers must also support new technology, like 5G. Its capabilities are set to improve data capacity and throughput, bringing faster speeds, better performance and more reliable mobile service to users.

But 5G—and the wireless devices that allow users to experience it—will place more enormous demands on wired infrastructure.

Modern data center speeds are increasing in response to these new devices, connections and technologies; we’re seeing transitions from 40G to 100G and emerging 400G Ethernet technologies.

Fiber is the only network infrastructure solution that can support data rates of 50G and beyond; therefore, the equipment responsible for transporting and carrying signals in the future will rely on fiber. It’s becoming the go-to option for modern data center architecture because it offers greater bandwidth and error-free transmission over longer distances.

3. How you’ll design your meet-me room

Modern meet-me rooms (MMRs) connect all the companies and carriers working together in the same data center space while removing round-trip traffic, ensuring that the data doesn’t leave the facility (lowering costs and boosting security).

MMRs are evolving. Modern MMRs can help you accomplish several things within your data center:

• Lower latency and faster performance by reducing the number of network hops
• Lower costs by avoiding local loop charges
• Faster expansion by providing tenants with more fiber connection options 

  
In other words, meet-me rooms are critical if you want to support uninterrupted internet exchange and ensure smooth data transmission; however, legacy telecommunications and network rooms fail to support these modern digital demands. As a result, they experience challenges with density and scale and require too much manual effort. To compete in a digital economy, MMRs must evolve through new approaches to cabling, density and functionality (keep reading for details).

4. How you’ll combine density and simplicity

Working and selecting the right architecture for advanced connectivity doesn’t have to be challenging. High-density fiber cross-connect solutions designed to optimize fiber infrastructure ROI are ideal for meet-me rooms.

Belden’s DCX System is a great example. It’s designed to maximize signal integrity through bend radius control for incoming and outgoing cables. Patch cord access is simple, with pull-out trays and plenty of clearance around each connector. The DCX System supports many fiber termination methods and migration from any combination of 8- or 12-fiber pre-terminated adapter frames without infrastructure changes.

Systems like the DCX System provide modern data center leaders with two benefits to help them gain a competitive edge:

• They make MMRs and connectivity simple and easy to install, manage and repair
• They are modular and highly configurable for a given use case
• Both benefits directly impact go-to-market strategies and improve time-to-market.

How are you planning for the future of your data center—and how to transform it into a strategic asset? We can help you create a roadmap to maximize the use of existing infrastructure and resources while also making sure your data center is prepared for what lies ahead.

Related resources:

5 Ways to Improve the Sustainability of Your Next Data Center Project

From Informative to Normative: How Important Are Data Center Classifications?