Prefabricated data centres: Challenging a bricks and mortar approach  

THE PREFABRICATED data centre market is growing rapidly, in 2014 the industry was valued at $6.5 billion in 2014 and by 2019, the market is anticipated to reach $26 billion, as the benefits of this kind of deployment are becoming increasingly well-known and understood. Uptake is driven by the attractive qualities of modularity such as speed of deployment, flexibility, scalability and customisation.

An equally appealing benefit is the competitive total cost of ownership. The cost saving benefits of a modular approach are becoming increasingly important to data centre managers as pressure on IT spend continues to grow.

Understanding the modular way
Moreover, prefabricated modular data centres offer further temptation as they naturally have the ability to scale, delivering capacity as and when processing and storage needs increase. This “just in time” rather than a “just in case” approach to data management is encouraging a “pay as you grow” strategy which can be a crucial solution for high-growth organisations.
The modular data centre offering is already understood by many industries around the world and it won’t be long until many more vertical markets will take note of its potential.
The prefabricated data centre solution is custom-built starting with innovative technologies for the building superstructure itself.

Furthermore, the modules can be custom-configured with Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units, thermal management systems and generators to match the environmental conditions of the data centre site. Lastly, IT equipment such as servers, storage, and networking gear can be optional components of this solution.

Prefabricated modular data centres like these have multiple benefits that make them increasingly attractive to businesses when compared to the traditional bricks and mortar option. These advantages range from the ability to customise and pre-build to order, to more convenient transportation, fast and simple installation, and can easily extend the data centre as and when capacity requirements increase.

Speed of deployment
From acquiring new land to turning a data centre on for the first time, the process can be long and complex requiring extensive planning and close project management. A data centre manager will often have a daunting list of tasks to complete throughout the project such as purchasing, engineering, architecting, civil works, site preparation, construction, installation, and set up, to name but a few.

With a conventional data centre build there is no other option but to undertake these tasks in sequence. However, taking a prefabricated approach means that many of these tasks can be carried out concurrently which significantly reduces overall delivery times.
Integration. In most cases, a bricks and mortar data centre project timeline would follow this set pattern: design, build, install.
The prefabricated data centre timeline, on the other hand, breaks-down this rigid way of thinking by using a much more flexible and convenient process: design, manufacture off-site, deliver and assemble onsite.

By contrast, this type of infrastructure transforms the traditional data centre construction practices by manufacturing and testing an entire facility offsite before shipping and then assembling onsite. The result is a best-in-class facility that can be deployed faster and at lower cost.

This “manufacture and deliver” approach of integrated modular data centres allows for a thorough quality control, factory environment collaboration and testing, as well as, faster speed of deployment.

Pay-as-you-grow
One of the major challenges of the conventional data centre build is making sure that the facility installed will fulfil its requirements a decade or more down the line. Predicting these requirements so far in the future is a difficult feat and as a result, companies calculating such predictions invariably over-estimate their needs.
This “just in case” approach has been an understandable choice in the past. However, the “just in time” approach provided by the modular data centre, is a preferable and more efficient alternative.

The scalability of integrated modular data centres also means that they can be expanded for any future requirements, whether through a new physical structure or new equipment.

Time is money!
The implementation of a modular design is likely to result in financial savings both in the construction and operational stages of the data centre’s lifecycle. The opportunity to save on these expenses is one of the most attractive characteristics of the overall modular proposition as the design becomes more cost effective to build since it is constructed for a specific and immediate need.

Rather than attempting to guess specific IT needs 15 to 20 years from now, the modular data centre delivers a structure that meets real and present requirements in the short and medium-term, while offering the capacity for future scalability and adaption. A conventional bricks and mortar approach means taking up an existing space or building from scratch. The costs associated with turning this space into a data centre may be far too expensive for many IT budgets. Furthermore, fire suppression systems, raised floors, vapour barriers, modified ceilings will all add time and cost to the project.

The modular data centre has been designed to fulfil a specific need, which means that the ongoing operational costs will be significantly reduced. This tailor-made approach often means that space and equipment is much less likely be over-provisioned, meaning that no unnecessary expense will cause “dead” data centre space and no equipment will sit unused. Moreover, virtualisation and increasingly sophisticated thermal management techniques make it possible to deliver additional processing power in a smaller place, further reducing costs.

To adopt, or not to adopt?
Choosing a data centre is one of the biggest strategic decisions a company will take. The options presented may be many and varied, but the flexibility, scalability and potential cost savings that a prefabricated data centre promises remain compelling. The modular approach suits a wide range of environments, industries and cases and can be adapted to the specific needs of an organisation, ultimately ensuring that it is actually the right solution for them.