Three ICT trends to watch in 2015

Here are the three most important trends making an impact in 2015 as I have predicted

1. Pre-fabricated data centres - a solution fit for all.

   Pre-fabricated modular data centres have become all the rage in 2014, thanks to the flexibility, energy efficiency and - most importantly - speed to deployment that these data centres offer compared to traditional brick and mortar buildings.

   This trend will not only continue but strengthen as new infrastructure is needed to cope with the data boom - and it is often needed fast. With pre-fabricated data centres being easy to expand and scale, they will be the solution of choice for operators, colocation companies and even global internet companies especially for companies planning to venture in to new markets.

   Precise timing of facility expansion is key for data centre colocation providers to maintain a high level of utilisation (return on capital) while avoiding missing out on new customers due to lack of capacity.

2. Managing power to secure savings.

   Diesel saving solutions are essential for base station sites in areas where grid power is unreliable or unavailable. This is usually achieved by using batteries, renewable energy sources like solar, and with intelligent management of the power systems. However, to realize the savings, power solutions (the technology) need to be properly managed over time. Reliability in operations will be the most important factor to ensure that the savings will be realised and to avoid any downtime.

   To ensure this, equipment vendors will co-operate closer with managed service companies in long term partnerships and we will see energy service companies (ESCOs) start to establish themselves in many markets.

3. Trust your data.

   Tower companies are beginning to realise that it is difficult to obtain power related site data that they can trust, which is key for them to ensure that they understand the status of the equipment and what is happening on their sites. As networks increase in both size and the number of tenants hosted, the availability of trusted data will drive the difference between profitability and failure.

   To keep control over and reduce costs as well as prevent failures, tower companies will invest in software-driven intelligent monitoring system that are fully integrated with the power systems right from the start.