FEATURE : DATA STORAGE
As enterprises transition into becoming data-driven organisations , the competition intensifies to get full value from all data , structured and unstructured , requiring enterprises to have the right infrastructure in place to manage applications built around AI and LLM models .
Executives from VAST Data , Eaton , Dell Technologies , Kingston
Technology respond .
Innovation abounds in the IT ecosystem as both new and established enterprises strive to meet escalating demand for data storage , embedding AI in everything , with flash technology in an era flooded with unstructured data . Opportunities are pouring in to support genAI and HPC technologies , with a need for AI-powered data and software solutions tailored for managing and analysing extensive data repositories .
“ Another development is the rise of green data centres in the Middle East , driven by high data demand and renewable energy availability . These centres aim to reduce environmental impact by adopting energy-efficient practices and utilising abundant renewable energy sources . This trend reflects the region ’ s commitment to sustainability ,” says Haider Aziz , Managing Director Middle East , Turkey and Africa , VAST Data ,
In the region , UAE , Saudi and Egypt are the top three markets where their combined data centre capacity is expected to grow to 707 MW by 2025 .
Several drivers are impacting the growth of the data centre market . These include continuous development of data-intensive industries , accelerated by the adoption of the cloud by organisations across the globe . Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence technologies are other significant factors . But these capabilities also represent a challenge . “ AI software is trained on vast quantities of data , so the emergence of technologies like AI has led to an enormous surge in computing demand ,” adds Noureddin .
“ For an organisation , data centres are amongst the most financially concentrated assets , with ownership and costs traditionally spread across the organisation . Sustainable data centres and optimising data centres with green technologies are becoming imperative , helping to lower costs and meet objectives ,” says Mohamed ElZomor , Senior Director Storage Platform Solutions CEEMETA , Dell Technologies .
GenAI thrives on data , both as fuel and as an output . As AI models continue to advance and take on increasingly complex tasks , the demand for efficient data storage and processing power increases . New storage solutions can help cater to AI ’ s specific requirements and vast , diverse data sets by employing innovative technologies like distributed storage , data compression and efficient data indexing .
“ The rapid evolution of data centre markets and shifts in the architecture and design of data centres means the industry is navigating a complex maze of challenges and opportunities that promise to realign its trajectory ,” says Qasem Noureddin , Commercial Director , Eaton Middle East .
“ We continue to see as-a-Service models gain momentum due to their simplicity and costeffectiveness . It is projected that by 2025 , 70 % of enterprise storage infrastructure will be software defined , up from about 20 % in 2020 according to IDC ,” adds ElZomor .
Opportunities and challenges around managing enterprise data today
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