The Top 10 Data Center Stories for September 2021

Facebook’s growth and the industry’s approach to sustainability were the hot topics for September for readers of Data Center Frontier. Many of you were keenly interested in our stories about the scope of Facebook’s data center network, and news about a big expansion for FB in Hillsboro. Meanwhile, Yondr Group is getting into the energy business with generation projects to provide renewable energy for the data centers it builds.

Here are the 10 most popular stories on Data Center Frontier in September 2021, in order of article views:

• Facebook Showcases its 40 Million Square Feet of Global Data Centers: Facebook has invested $16 billion in building and operating its data centers in the United States, the company said yesterday as it unveiled a new web site showcasing its plans for 40 million square feet of global data center infrastructure.
• Yondr Will Develop Green Energy Projects to Support its Data Centers: Yondr Group will develop renewable energy projects to support its data center campuses, a move that will help its customers reduce their environmental impact. The company is planning $2 billion in data center development across the Americas.
• Natural Language Processing: How This Technique Can Take Your Business to the Next Level: The future of the data center will rely heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve business processes. Jim Carson, Data Science Manager at Service Express, shares how natural language processing techniques can automate tasks and increase accuracy in your organization.
• Uptime: Most Data Centers Still Not Tracking Environmental Impact:: Despite a growing focus on environmental sustainability, most data center operators are still not measuring their water or carbon impact, according to new survey data from Uptime Institute.
• Vertiv Makes $2 Billion Acquisition, Warns of Supply Chain Challenges: Vertiv is buying power distribution specialist E&I Engineering Ireland in a $2 billion deal that will boost its portfolio and market reach. The company also warned that data center supply chain shortages are impacting the price and availability of equipment.
• Facebook Eyes Major Data Center Expansion in Hillsboro, Oregon: Facebook is pursuing a massive expansion of its data center infrastructure in Oregon, prompting developer QTS Data Centers to seek approvals for more renewable energy for its new campus in Hillsboro.
• Data Center Evolution and the Road to Liquid Cooling: Traditional cooling systems will certainly still have their place in the data center. However, new types of workloads simply require a new way to cool the servers on which they operate. A new Data Center Frontier special report, courtesy of TMGcore, looks at how liquid cooling is driving the evolution of the data center industry.
• Kuhn Emerges as a Mover in Cloud Computing Land Deals: Chuck Kuhn has become an active player in the data center real estate market in Northern Virginia, and his JK Land Holdings is now expanding its business to other leading North American data center markets.
• Digital 9 Acquires Verne Global, Citing Need For Sustainable Data Centers: Iceland’s Verne Global has been acquired by Digital 9 Infrastructure for £231 million ($320 million) in a deal that highlights investor interest in digital infrastructure assets with a strong sustainability story.
• Louisiana Data Centers Rely on Generators in Wake of Hurricane Ida: Leading data center service providers in Louisiana continued operating through Hurricane Ida, relying on backup generators to ride out widespread utility outages. The battered area’s on-premises data centers face major challenges and extended outages.

Education is part of our mission at Data Center Frontier. In our Voices of the Industry feature, we share the experience of data center executives on the front lines of innovation. Here’s a look at the most popular Voices columns for DCF readers last month:

• Natural Language Processing: How This Technique Can Take Your Business to the Next Level (Service Express): The future of the data center will rely heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve business processes. Jim Carson, Data Science Manager at Service Express, shares how natural language processing techniques can automate tasks and increase accuracy in your organization.
• The Silicon Forest: Unparalleled Connectivity in Hillsboro, Oregon (Flexential): For businesses looking to enrich the data center experience, the advantages of the Hillsboro, Oregon extend beyond its proximity to the Bay Area and Seattle. Ryan Mallory, COO of Colocation Services at Flexential explains why Hillsboro, Oregon is a hot spot for data centers.
• Self-Contained Cooling Unleashes Compute Power at the Edge (Emcor Enclosures):While most data centers have the luxury of sophisticated thermal controls, that isn’t always the case with servers in the field. Kevin Jackson of Emcor Enclosures discusses a cost-effective and highly efficient approach to server cooling in sub-optimal conditions.

Be sure to check out all of our Voices columns, including insights from Overwatch, Iron Mountain Data Centers, Vertiv and Anritsu.

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