How Talent Race in Data Centre Industry is Intensifying to Meet the Growing Demand By Mohammed Atif, Director, Business Development, India, Park Place Technologies

How Talent Race in Data Centre Industry is Intensifying to Meet the Growing Demand

Mohammed Atif, Director, Business Development, India, Park Place Technologies | Thursday, 30 March 2023, 09:01 IST

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Mohammed Atif, Director, Business Development, India, Park Place Technologies in a conversation with CIOTechOutlook shares his insights about the evolving data centre industry in India, the role of advanced technology, sustainability, and the talent race in the industry.

Director of Business Development at Park Place Technologies, Mohammed has been associated with Park Place Technologies for three years and is a seasoned, collaborative and performance-driven leader with 20+ years’ experience in developing and directing successful business models. He possesses strong expertise in driving sales for data centre IT services and enterprise hardware solutions. He is a relationship development champion, with excellent skills in building rapport with channel partners, end clients and key decision-makers.

What are some positive levers that are supporting the growth of data centres in India?

Digital India initiative: The Indian government's Digital India initiative is driving the adoption of technology and internet services in the country. This has led to a significant increase in the demand for data centres, which are critical infrastructures for storing and processing data.

Rapidly growing digital economy: The growth of India's digital economy, which includes e-commerce, fintech, and other online businesses, is driving the need for more data centres to support the massive amount of data generated by these industries.

Government policies and incentives: The Indian government has introduced several policies and incentives to encourage the growth of the data centre industry. For example, the government has created a favourable tax regime for data centres and has also simplified the process of setting up data centres in the country.

Increasing smartphone penetration: With the increasing popularity of smartphones in India, there has been a surge in the demand for data-intensive applications, such as video streaming and online gaming. This has further fuelled the growth of data centres in the country.

Strategic location: India's strategic location in the Asia-Pacific region makes it an attractive destination for setting up data centres. With its large and growing population, India offers a vast market for data centre services, and it is also well-connected to other countries in the region.

What are some missing elements from India's data centre growth story?

While India's data centre industry is growing rapidly, there are still some missing elements that could be addressed to further accelerate its growth. Some of these missing elements include:

Lack of data privacy and security regulations: While there are some regulations in place regarding data privacy and security, there is still a need for more comprehensive laws to protect sensitive information. This could lead to concerns among users, which could hinder the growth of the data centre industry.

Inadequate power infrastructure: The data centre industry is highly dependent on reliable power supply, a challenge as India's power infrastructure is still developing. Frequent power outages and load shedding can disrupt data centre operations and lead to downtime.

What is the role of advanced technologies in fuelling data centre efficiency?

Advanced technologies play a crucial role in fuelling data centre efficiency. Here are some ways in which advanced technologies are contributing to data centre productivity:

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML): AI and ML technologies are increasingly being used in data centres to optimise energy consumption, improve cooling systems, and predict equipment failures. These technologies can help data centres operate more efficiently and reduce energy consumption, ultimately leading to cost savings.

Internet of Things (IoT): IoT technology is being used in data centres to monitor and control energy consumption, temperature, humidity, and other parameters in real-time. By leveraging IoT, data centres can optimise energy usage and reduce waste, which ultimately leads to better efficiency.

Automation: Data centres are complex systems that require constant monitoring and management. Automation technologies, such as robotic process automation (RPA) and orchestration platforms, are being used to streamline data centre operations, reduce manual intervention, and improve efficiency.

Renewable energy sources: The use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, can help reduce the carbon footprint of data centres and increase their efficiency. Advanced technologies are being used to integrate renewable energy sources into data centre operations, which can lead to significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

Advanced cooling systems: Cooling systems are a significant energy consumer in data centres. Advanced cooling technologies, such as liquid cooling and direct evaporative cooling, are being used to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.

With an expanding focus on the digital delivery of services, India represents a key market opportunity. What are Park Place Technologies’ future plans for India?

Given the increasing focus on the digital delivery of services in India, it is likely that Park Place Technologies will continue to focus on expanding its operations in the country and capitalising on the growing market opportunity. This could include more storage locations, offices, and investments in trained engineers. The company may also explore partnerships and collaborations with local companies and technology providers to enhance its offerings and better serve its customers in India.

Considering the current market trend, Park Place Technologies’ plan for India is to work on IT Infrastructure Life Cycle Optimization, where we help companies by procuring the hardware to deploy, manage, maintain, migrate, and finally help them to decommission. As the region is price sensitive, we are focusing on cost optimization as well, where we deliver 30-40% of cost savings to our clients.

What are your thoughts on sustainability in data centres? How do you see it going in 2023?

Sustainability in data centres has been a growing concern in recent years, as the increasing use of digital technology has led to a significant increase in energy consumption and carbon emissions. To address this, there have been efforts to improve the efficiency of data centres, reduce their energy consumption, and shift towards renewable energy sources.

In 2023, sustainability in data centres is likely to continue to be a priority for many companies and organizations. As more businesses rely on cloud computing and digital services, there will be an even greater need to reduce the environmental impact of data centres.

Park Place Technologies is a professional and environmentally conscious organisation which acknowledges the potential impact that its operations may have on the environment.

Managers and team leaders have a responsibility for ensuring that environmental issues are given adequate consideration in the planning and day-to-day supervision of all work.

Employees are to ensure that their activities, so far as is reasonably practicable, are carried out without risk to themselves, others, or the environment. This includes cooperating with management on the implementation of this policy and any environment-related matter.

The top management has overall responsibility for environmental matters. This policy and the associated procedures, objectives and targets will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they remain current and applicable to the company’s activities.

How is the talent race in the data centre industry shaping up in India?

The data centre industry in India is growing rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for cloud computing, big data, and digital transformation initiatives. As a result, the talent race in this industry is also intensifying, as companies compete to attract skilled professionals to meet the growing demand for their services.

There is a shortage of skilled data centre professionals in India, and this is a major challenge for the industry. Companies are looking for skilled data centre engineers, project managers, network administrators, and security professionals, among others.

To address this talent gap, many data centre providers are investing in training programs and partnering with educational institutions to offer specialized courses in data centre technologies. Some are also offering incentives and benefits to attract and retain talents, such as flexible work arrangements, competitive salaries, and employee development opportunities.

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