Thanks to the steady growth of cloud-based systems, the Internet of Things, and other factors, the data center is fast becoming one of the most valuable parts of a business. It also has many businesses thinking about expansion — but where to expand is the operative question. Some locations are better than others, so it’s important to keep the following considerations in mind.

What Should I Look for in Potential Data Center Locations?

Opening a new data center requires examination of several aspects in order get to the most from the expansion.

• Cost of land. Data centers are generally huge buildings that require a lot of ground. Try to find land with low initial costs or in a market that’s going to stay comparatively low cost for some time to come.
• Cost of power. Data centers require enormous amounts of power. Close investigation of prevailing prices per kilowatt-hour is an excellent way to determine sustainability.
• Applicable regulations. Since many data centers turn to water for coolant, they often fall under water conservation laws. These laws may ultimately shut down a data center before it can even be built.
• Climate. In some cases it’s possible to take advantage of cooler area temperatures to reduce cooling costs. Be careful not to locate so remotely that transmission latency becomes an issue.
• Politics. Look for regions eager for new business and ready to offer tax incentives or low overall property taxes.

Which Markets Offer the Best in Data Center-Friendly Conditions?

A recent study from the Data Center Journal offered up comment on some of the best locations in the world for building a data center.

• United States. Dallas, Texas, was near the top of the list, surpassed only by Northern Virginia. Northern California made a somewhat unlikely yet high-ranking choice. Even Chicago placed as a comparatively-new option on the list.
• Canada. Montreal was cited as an up-and-comer in the data center field thanks to cloud opportunities.
• Europe. Ireland proved to be Europe’s entry in the stand-out arena, which isn’t that surprising given its former status as the “Celtic Tiger” in the late nineties to late 2000s.
• Japan. Though real estate is at a premium in Tokyo, it made the list nonetheless thanks to cloud center operations. Population density in the region likely helped here as well.

How Do I Start Setting Up a New Data Center?

Whether looking to set up a new data center or expand on an old one, contact us at EmconIT. We have a wide background in data center topics that will help you get the most out of your major new construction project.