Data centers are the powerhouses of the industrial world. As technological advances continue to change the way organizations do business, the need for data and power increases. Often, this significant increase in resources is too much for many companies to handle internally or with existing corporate infrastructure. Many hours and personnel are required to maintain the high demand. The utilization of a data center allows a business to outsource its power needs.
Organizations benefit from data centers in a variety of ways. Most specifically, they allow a company to focus on its consumer objectives instead of technological maintenance.
“To prepare for the future, companies need to consider expanding IT applications as part of their growth and stability,” said Ben Schneider, Project Director and Industrial Market Segment Leader at Granger Construction. “Having a purpose-built facility with redundant power and cooling systems will increase security and productivity of critical business applications.”
Protecting Power
Outsourcing data control lessens the impact of a power disaster or failure. Technological and natural power outages can wreak havoc on an organization that is supplying its own power because servers that are kept onsite are prone to more broadband issues. Losing power for as little as 1/50 of a second can trigger events that may keep IT equipment unavailable for as long as 15 minutes to many hours. Onsite power failures are incurable when they result in data loss.
Data centers are also more secure than traditional data storage methods. The problems and risk associated with data loss are intensifying. Today’s storage systems, servers and network devices use components so miniaturized that they falter and fail under power conditions that earlier-generation equipment easily withstood. A data center provides reliable storage without the glitches of portable technology.
Cutting Costs
Some experts believe the U.S. economy loses between $200 billion and $570 billion a year due to power outages and other disturbances. Data centers eliminate a portion of this loss. They utilize a system that can withstand unfavorable power conditions that generators and surge suppressors cannot. Generators and surge suppressors require significant energy to start up and maintain. They are also not immune to power spikes and other electrical disturbances. These factors contribute to skyrocketing power costs.
The cost of power and cooling has increased significantly in recent years. Data center managers are responsible for achieving high availability while simultaneously reducing power costs. Highly efficient Uninterrupted Power Supply systems can help with this goal. Products are available today that were not an option even a few years ago.
Improving Efficiency
By law, electrical power can vary widely enough to cause significant problems for IT equipment. According to current U.S. standards, voltage can legally vary from 5.7 percent to 8.3 percent under absolute specifications. This means that utility services promising 208 volts may legally deliver within the range of 191 to 220 volts. A data center eliminates the uncertainty surrounding power levels with strict guidelines and monitoring processes.
Additionally, utility power isn’t always clean. Businesses may have their own power source but public utilities are often used to supply central hub. IT functions are slowed because of the numerous organizations utilizing the same power grid. Companies that utilize a data center will notice significant improvements in technological speed and function, as data centers privatize power to ensure that only one business is connected to each grid.
