Amid the variety of data center news marking the end of 2013, we are ready to declare 2014 “the year of the data center” where data center management, new server equipment, and IT developments will shape the next 12 months of tech and beyond. The cloud, networking, and Wi-Fi solidified their positions at the top of the IT development heap in 2013, so it’s no surprise that innovations in these areas are some of the most intriguing stories of the first week of the new year.
Cloud Computing Tops Big Data, PRISM for Perceived Impact
A year-end survey of data center management and IT professionals by V3 found that 78 percent cited cloud computing as having the most impact on tech in 2013. More than $100 billion is expected to be spent on cloud computing in 2014, as more organizations become comfortable with off-site storage and managed services. In 2014, more data center infrastructure will turn to cloud computing to scale back infrastructure and IT management costs while dialing up their network, storage and security capabilities, especially as the security and cost issues that accompanied the cloud’s initial rise to prominence fade. Cloud computing far outpaced big data and the PRISM scandal in perceived impact, as the two other developments received 8 and 5 percent of the vote, respectively. Big data, while disruptive in some circles, has been limited by its demanding scope of tools, personnel and money to use in mostly larger firms.
2014 Will Be Hybrid Cloud’s Year
The hybrid cloud emerged in 2013 as an even more viable alternative to public, private and community clouds, blending the privacy and layered information security of a private cloud with the flexibility and application access of the public cloud. According to Network World, hybrid cloud models are poised to occupy the driver’s seat of cloud development in 2014. Many leading cloud vendors are concentrating their 2014 offerings on hybrid cloud services, while Gartner stated that the market for hybrid cloud is now at the level the private cloud was at three years ago – about to break out.
61.5 Percent of Web Traffic is Bots
Data center professionals increasingly contend with network oversight. The rise of bot traffic is undeniable – they made up 61.5 percent of all web traffic recorded in 2013, a 21 percent rise from 2012, according to Gizmodo. Some of these bots are good, or at least benign, with 31 percent of internet traffic made up of bots working for search engines. However, 10 percent were bots engaged in spamming, hacking or content theft, and an additional 20.5 percent were impersonator bots of various stripes. As the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile devices contribute more end points to enterprise networks, it’s important that companies understand the presence – and potential dangers – of non-human Web traffic.
