Significant, industry-wide investment in edge computing will change the profile of the data center ecosystem over the next five years, increasing the edge component of total compute by 29 per cent over that time, according to a new global survey of data center industry professionals from Vertiv.
About a third (34 per cent) of those surveyed are either planning or in the midst of significant edge deployments. A quarter already have deployed new, purpose-built edge sites, and 41 per cent are operating legacy edge sites. All the activity at the edge is striking, but survey participants also anticipate a 150 per cent increase in core sites and increased activity in the cloud. According to the survey, the percentage of IT resources deployed in the public cloud is expected to grow from 19 per cent currently to 25 per cent by 2026. The demand for computing resources is skyrocketing across today’s networks.
The survey results arrive on the heels of the release late last year of Edge Archetypes 2.0: Deployment-Ready Edge Infrastructure Models. That report furthered Vertiv’s research into the edge of the network and identified four edge infrastructure models that enable a more intelligent, semi-standardized approach to edge infrastructure deployment.
The survey results are consistent with the premise of Edge Archetypes 2.0 – that massive growth at the edge necessitates a more standardized approach to edge architecture.
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The survey also revealed the changing profile of the modern edge site. Twenty-nine percent of sites feature between 5 and 20 racks, and 13 per cent have more than 20 racks. More racks mean more power, and the survey results reflect that: 28 per cent say their sites require between 21 and 200 kW, and 14 per cent report power demands in excess of 200 kW. The days of single racks tucked away in rudimentary IT closets are over.
Vertiv surveyed 156 industry professionals with insight into their company’s edge computing plans. Complete survey results are available in the report, What’s Your Edge?
Featured graphic summarizes the survey results, based on geography. (Graphic: Vertiv)
