Les centres de données

In this edition of Understanding Your Market, we highlight the benefits of IAC’s patent landscape reports to help companies in the data-driven cleantech sector achieve market-level success. . 

What are patent landscape reports? 

Before we can talk about data centres, let’s first define a patent landscape report. Developed by IAC’s team of experts, these reports are a reflection of patent right surveys in a defined group of technologies. IAC’s patent landscape reports are the ‘who’s who’ in a given competitive space.   

To help make it easier to understand, let’s use sports as an analogy. IAC’s patent landscape reports tell you:  

• “Who is in the game”: what companies hold some patent rights.  
• “Who is on the sidelines”: what companies exist within the market but are still waiting for their opportunity to enter the game. 

Awareness of the competitive landscape can impact much-needed intelligence that identifies strengths and weaknesses of a firm, opportunities that lie ahead and threats in the market.  

What are data centres? 

A data centre is a large group of networked computer servers typically used by organizations for the remote storage, processing or distribution of large amounts of data. They are central to the critical digital infrastructure supporting advanced knowledge-based economies. 

In this digital age, exponential growth in computing workloads, driven by a massive rise in global data consumption, has led to a significant increase in the number of data centres worldwide. 

What challenges are data centres solving?

Data centres act as a central host to an organization’s critical and proprietary applications as well as its data, making them vital to the operation and continuance of services for modern day organizations.  

Due to the growing need for digitization and high computing applications, organizations are moving away from their traditional on-site data management architecture in favour of multi-cloud and hybrid environments, managed by third-parties. This gives organizations the flexibility to scale their infrastructure without having to worry about physical space and servicing legacy software to ensure it works alongside modern applications. 

What are the emerging trends and opportunities in the data centres sector that could have an impact on your company’s growth?

Exploring the trends and technological shifts within the data centre sector, IAC identified three key insights for Canadian companies to consider.  

1. There is an increasing dependence on digital infrastructure  

COVID-19’s effect on day-to-day business has definitely accelerated the need for organizations to deliver products or services online.  

A Synergy Research survey reported an 18 per cent rise in data centres from 2019 – 2020, which is projected to further increase due to COVID-19. This increase in demand can be seen through infrastructural investments, mergers, and acquisitions by what are called hyperscalers — facilities designed to support robust applications and enable scalability for companies.  

2. Canada’s data centres growth is forecasted to double each year 

Canada is currently ranked fifth in data centre density, with 279 hosted nationwide (Source: Globe and Mail). With increased growth forecasted, businesses focused on data centres and related technologies can expect exponential growth year over year. 

Thanks to its colder climate, there are added benefits for Canada. One of the largest costs of maintaining data centres is managing the rise in temperature due to the amount of computing. Data centres situated in climates such as Canada’s can leverage the much cheaper cool air and water as the primary cooling method. 

3. Energy-efficient data centre technologies reduce environmental impacts 

Data centre can act as a central host for a company’s critical and proprietary applications and having this information offsite introduces the benefits of cloud computing. Companies benefit by not having to worry about upgrading their systems to keep up with modernization and demand. And, they can utilize multiple data centres to harness the power and efficiency available. This is known as a multi-cloud workspace. Both cloud and multi-cloud workspaces are attractive options to companies looking to streamline their data management and reduce their on-site infrastructure. 

Co-location and multi-tenant data centres can also host many organizations at once, making them a more environmentally conscious option than companies having their own individual infrastructure. In recent years, data centres have also become more efficient, with a renewed focus on using energy efficient solutions to optimize utilization of compute and storage resources, adopting sustainable cooling techniques and opting for cleaner sources of energy.