Six questions with Tony Bishop, Senior Vice President, Platform & Solutions, Digital Realty

In recent years, global economies have transformed from physical-powered to digital-powered. These organizations are increasingly relying on hybrid IT and becoming “data-powered” — with high-density data fueling economic growth.

Digital Realty is the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data centers, colocation and interconnection solutions. The company has witnessed explosive growth of data creation globally, and recently published its Data Gravity Index™ 2.0. They forecast that global enterprise data creation will reach 1.2 million exabytes in the next three years and 93% of this data will be created outside of the public cloud.

Hybrid IT and hybrid cloud

This data explosion underscores the need for a hybrid IT, or hybrid cloud, approach to managing, storing and distributing data across the enterprise. In the simplest sense, it means that some information systems are accessible only on-premise, and others are accessed in the cloud. There are three main forces driving the growing adoption of hybrid IT: the need to control data for security purposes, the cost-effectiveness of cloud services like software as a service (SaaS), and the mandate for IT that responds quickly to rapidly changing business needs. 

The cloud: Large and getting larger

Organizations across all industries are currently moving data resources and applications to the cloud. This is a trend that is only predicted to pick up more speed, as Gartner estimates that over 95% of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms by 2025, up from 30% in 2021.

This explosive data growth increases Data Gravity, which means that as more data is created and shared, the speed at which we can transmit that data decreases — increasing "gravity" as a result. Understanding how quickly data creation and utilization grows has become a competitive edge to plan for infrastructure and capacity needs.

I recently sat down with Tony Bishop, Senior Vice President, Platform & Solutions, Digital Realty and discussed the future of data centers, the importance of high-speed connectivity to support Data Gravity, and the role of tech infrastructure in enabling cost-efficient and secure sharing and usage of data across a distributed enterprise.

Wynn Gradisar: Organizations are moving data resources and applications to the cloud. One common reason is to reduce latency when apportioning data resources to a distributed workforce. What sort of steps can an organization take to answer the call to reduce latency?

Tony Bishop: What organizations need is a global data center platform designed for high-performance, low-latency experiences. This enables businesses to deploy network hubs, thereby increasing performance, reducing latency, and lowering operating expenses. With a platform like this, organizations can  interconnect effectively, improving traffic management and security while reducing complexity, risk, and costs. By connecting data from various locations and keeping it proximate to partners and customers, businesses can enhance their competitiveness and efficiency.

Wynn Gradisar: How should organizations address the challenges that the meteoric rise of AI poses on data gravity and storage?

Tony Bishop: Organizations should take a multifaceted approach to address the challenges posed by the meteoric rise of AI on Data Gravity and storage. Designing modular infrastructure that accommodates a variety of power densities is essential. AI ecosystems consist of various components and not all of them require the same power densities. Storage, for instance, may need lower power densities than AI processors but should be co-located for efficient data processing.

Additionally, the ability to support large deployments is crucial for real-world AI applications. High-density racks alone are insufficient; organizations must ensure that large datasets are stored on fast, interconnected platforms, co-located with the AI infrastructure. Furthermore, hosting and expanding data lakes within facilities can facilitate the rapid ingestion of data by large-scale AI models during the training process.

Ultimately, the proximity and connectivity to data sources, whether they are within the organization's infrastructure, part of a hybrid IT setup, or in the cloud, are of paramount importance. As AI models increasingly rely on these datasets, dedicated infrastructure for AI alongside efficient data management will play a vital role in addressing the challenges related to data gravity and storage in the AI era.

Wynn Gradisar: What stage in the transformation journey to hybrid IT or hybrid cloud would you find most organizations today?

Tony Bishop: Digital Realty’s research, published in Data Gravity Index™ 2.0, found that multi-cloud and hybrid cloud adoption is becoming more common and that by 2025, 93% of enterprise data will be created and utilized outside the public cloud.

Wynn Gradisar: Cybersecurity concerns are uppermost in C-Suites worldwide, and organizations of all sizes have significantly improved their defense posture. How can organizations help ensure that their data is securely protected and stored?

Tony Bishop: Companies can leverage innovative technology, including artificial intelligence, through proprietary virtual platforms that continuously learn, adapt, and evolve to stay ahead of emerging cyber threats. This proactive approach aids in real-time risk identification and mitigation.

To create a dynamic and adaptable data security model, organizations can employ best-in-class technology, enabling them to adjust security controls as the risk landscape changes.

Additionally, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement is essential, focusing not only on resilience but also on achieving anti-fragility. This means that data security practices improve in response to unplanned disruptions. Organizations should recognize the need for resilience to various forms of risk, from cybersecurity to climate change and energy shortages. They can prepare for worst-case scenarios by having backup generators at global facilities, ensuring data continuity and grid stability during unforeseen events.

Wynn Gradisar: Gartner predicts that by 2027, more than 50% of enterprises will be using industry-specific cloud platforms. What are the attributes of such platforms? Does this emerging trend have any impact on the data centers that Digital Realty operates?

Tony Bishop: The emergence of industry-specific cloud platforms represents a significant shift in the way enterprises leverage cloud technology. These platforms typically possess attributes tailored to the unique needs of specific industries, such as healthcare, finance, or manufacturing. Key attributes of such platforms include domain expertise, compliance and security standards that align with industry regulations, specialized applications, and data analytics capabilities designed to address sector-specific challenges. They aim to streamline operations, enhance data management, and facilitate collaboration within a particular industry, ultimately delivering more targeted and effective solutions to users.

As for the impact on data centers like those operated by Digital Realty, this trend suggests a potential transformation in data center demands. Industry-specific cloud platforms may lead to increased requirements for data center infrastructure to support these specialized services. Companies offering industry-specific cloud solutions may seek robust, secure, and scalable data center facilities to host their cloud infrastructure, ensuring high availability and low latency. This could translate into increased demand for colocation services and data center space, making it an opportunity for companies like Digital Realty to adapt and expand their offerings to cater to this evolving landscape.

Wynn Gradisar: Thanks, Tony, for your time and your insight. We here at Spectrum Enterprise look forward to continuing and growing our relationship with Digital Realty.

Learn more about how Spectrum Enterprise offers Ultra-High Speed Data services that deliver speeds of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) for a range of data transport solutions, including supporting connections to data centers as a network provider at several Digital Realty locations.