The data center market in South Africa has evolved, with early entrants moving up the value chain to serve hyperscalers and global enterprises.
This shift has led to new market sectors, such as outsourced premises, hybrid cloud, and private cloud environments.
Data centers now need to be flexible and scalable to accommodate diverse technologies and changing customer needs.
Unlike when data centers were designed for specific customer loads, modern facilities must adapt to various technologies with different power densities and cooling requirements.
This flexibility is crucial for differentiation in the market.
This video is excerpted from the podcast Ep. #60 Eckart Zollner, Business Development of Digital Parks Africa | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast.
Action Items
- Explore the different market sectors and their specific requirements for data center services.
- Investigate the trends in technology changes and how they impact the data center infrastructure needs.
- Develop a strategy to design and build data centers that can adapt to the changing technology and customer demands.
Outline
Market Evolution and Customer Base Expansion in South Africa
- Eckart Zollner discusses the early market entrance in South Africa, highlighting the success and growth of companies moving up the value chain.
- These companies have transitioned from specific market sectors to serving hyperscalers, global enterprises, and large customers.
- The market has evolved, introducing new categories such as moving equipment out of its own premises to outsourced premises.
- Companies are now adopting hybrid and private cloud environments, requiring different approaches from data centers.
Adapting Data Centers to Market Needs
- Eckart Zollner explains that hyperscale data centers require a homogeneous infrastructure, while smaller and medium-sized enterprises need flexibility.
- Traditional data centers were built around specific customer models and load profiles, but modern designs focus on flexibility and scalability.
- Technology advancements have led to faster changes in data center demands, necessitating adaptable infrastructure.
- The conversation emphasizes the importance of catering to various technologies, including those with higher power density and different cooling requirements.
Personalization and Contextualization in Data Center Services
- Joshua Feinberg acknowledges the need to personalize and contextualize data center services based on specific customer requirements.
- The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the unique needs of different market sectors and adapting services accordingly.
- Eckart Zollner stresses that flexibility and scalability are crucial for data centers to meet evolving technological demands.
- The conversation underscores the significance of differentiation in the data center market through adaptable infrastructure and services.
Resources
Watch the full podcast Ep. #60 Eckart Zollner, Business Development of Digital Parks Africa | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast
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