Disruption, despite its reputation as a destructive force in business, is an engine of innovation. While 2020’s effects continue on a global scale, so do the methods of problem solving that have helped us come together. As we turn the page, acknowledging how challenges have changed us and how they may prepare us for tomorrow brings into focus a new vision for the future. 1623 Farnam, a regional leader in network-neutral edge interconnection and data center services, explored this perspective on past, present and future in its recent 2020 recap and 2021 predictions blogs. Together, they create unique insight into the most pressing lessons we’ve learned — and what’s still to come.
Lessons from an Unusual Year
2020 created a fundamental shift in how day-to-day life and business was accomplished, causing our reliance on critical infrastructure to soar. As end-users across the globe sought ways to operate virtually, this put pressure on the telecom industry to ensure it was providing robust, reliable options. Consequently, 1623 Farnam notes that the role of colocation and cloud as key enablers was thrown into stark relief. These solutions allowed organizations of all types to access the expanded infrastructure they needed without taking on more monitoring and maintenance burdens.
Still, building on these offerings to suit unique circumstances remained paramount. Remote hands capabilities, data center expansions, virtual facility tours and other developments characterized a new era in IT infrastructure service offerings. All represented lifelines for ensuring vital, high-quality services were abundant and easily attainable.
Where Do We Go From Here?
In 2021, 1623 Farnam anticipates this renewed focus on infrastructure, combined with growing demand for applications like 5G and IoT (the Internet of Things), changing the landscape of telecom even further. Now that we’ve seen the true importance of connectivity and digital capability in action, ensuring access to these technologies is distributed and edge-optimized will be the industry’s next and more urgent hurdle. The company’s 2021 predictions blog states, “Data centers will want to focus on local and edge peering in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, rather than provide backhaul to major hubs to cut down distance and hops across networks.” The benefits of this approach center on reducing costs while preserving scalability and efficiency in the face of rapidly growing user demands.
An emphasis on data mobility means that the roles of enterprise-owned data centers and colocation facilities will both continue to change as IT becomes more ecosystem-based. In turn, 1623 Farnam forecasts that this will alter the way related services are provided and consumed. Hybrid cloud and associated networking needs on the data center consumer side — as well as the curation of rich carrier offerings on the provider side — will be key drivers. You can get more extensive insight into these developments here.
Tech and telecom’s reputation for rapid change has been reinforced by a tumultuous year — and these transformations are far from over. However, these changes aren’t to be feared. What awaits us on the other side is a more resilient, capable and connected world.
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