Those who keep a watch on the Internet of Things (IoT) know this technology is going to shake things up for everything from households to cities. The data center won’t be exempt from these changes either, as the sheer potential depth of the IoT will rise to the point where nothing can remain static when touched by it. So what’s in the data center’s future?

A Greater Need for Protection

Protection in the data center essentially works in two directions. This bidirectional call will mean a clear need for protection all around.

• Protecting the data contained in the data center. The data contained in the data center is valuable, not only to the business but to its competitors. With the IoT contributing many new sources of data–a Gartner study suggests 26 billion units installed by 2020–there will be a plethora of potential ways to access the data center and the data within.
• Protecting the data center itself. A properly operating data center does so within a very narrow temperature range. Operation also depends on conditions of humidity, air quality, and more. The IoT offers a means to measure all these conditions and make adjustments as required from one screen–if such actions aren’t automatically done.

A Significant Uptick in Oversight

The IoT connecting to a data center will require a lot more oversight than has been seen in recent months. Since IoT solutions are commonly low-tech–often just simple sensors with a means to transmit data–there’s not a lot of room to build in protections.

This means all that IoT data needs to come in somewhere, and that point will have to be monitored closely to make sure unauthorized traffic doesn’t come piggybacking in on top of the current load.

A Massive New Call for Bandwidth

The Cisco Global Cloud Index illustrates starkly the clear new demand for bandwidth to be expected going forward. In 2016, the demand for traffic at the data center level was a cumulative total of five zettabytes. In 2019, that will more than double to 10.4 zettabytes.

All the new input flooding in from IoT systems will be a big contributor here. Data centers will have to scramble to accommodate all that data, let alone analyze it to spot the actionable patterns contained therein.

Where to Begin With All These Changes?

If all these changes sound like too much to handle, don’t worry. Emcon IT is ready to step in and help get your data center ready for the higher-demand environment to come.

Emcon’s background in data center management means your needs for oversight, protection, and much greater bandwidth can all be addressed. Give Emcon a call and get your data center ready for the demands of the future and the IoT.