The storm clouds are gathering all over Europe, fallen Prime Ministers, plummeting Euro and job losses everywhere. Bailouts of western economies have led to investment fears and rising costs have brought cause for concern. However, there is hope as many companies are able to rise above the troubles. Data centres are proving to be a boom industry and Ireland is where some of the world’s greatest corporations are locating, and the most experienced innovators in the industry are choosing to make massive commitments to the area.
These investments do not come cheap and when the Telecity Group bought out Data Electronics Group to become the leading player in Ireland they showed the way for the industry. Google, whose headquarters are in Dublin, have recently announced an expansion of its Irish operation by investing €75 million in a new plant on the outskirts of Dublin.
The eagerness of businesses to take up cloud computing as an option and to leave their data sets and company information in the hands of third parties means that even during these dour times there is hope within the technological markets. The rise in use of smartphones, iPods and other mobile devices, all linking to apps and programmes, need fast, secure connections to maintain contact, and in an ever growing market place the desire to connect seems little diminished.
Europe’s 868 data centres are proof that the area is rapidly becoming a world-leading hub for cloud computing and data centres. With major corporations expanding and relocating to the region they look set to create a new revolution in the Emerald Isles.
All this gives great room for optimism as over the last desperate years data centres and cloud computing have shown great resilience and maintained investor confidence. There is little of the effects other sectors have had from the financial downturn and perhaps this is as much to do with the fact that their operations help companies save money and increase productivity. So at least our smartphones will work, even if the economy doesn’t.
