Data Center Interconnect EssentialsWe live in a global culture that demands content that’s consumable on-demand, anywhere, at any time, with the highest levels of quality. To meet insatiable demand for video, data, and cloud-based services, requirements for Data Center Interconnect (DCI) technologies are dramatically increasing.   

DCI is forecast to grow to over 8,200 Tb/s by 2021, which outpaces Internet traffic growth by almost two times. A variety of industries, from cloud and IT to healthcare and manufacturing, are forecast to experience double-digit growth for interconnect bandwidth requirements over the coming years (For more on this see: Equinix Global Interconnection Index, Vol. 2, 2018).

This data isn’t just traveling between a few locations, today there are over 10,000 data center locations across the globe. North America has the highest density of data center locations, with 45% of all data centers, followed by Western Europe with 27% (Ovum, Global Data Center Analyzer, August 2018).

Figure: Data centers by region (Ovum, Global Data Center Analyzer, August 2018) pie chart

Figure 1: Data centers by region (Ovum, Global Data Center Analyzer, August 2018)

Carrier neutral providers, cloud providers, service providers, and enterprises have all built data centers – but their applications and needs vary.  DCI technologies have had to evolve to enable the ultra-high capacity, massive scalability, power efficiency, and management simplicity required in this on-demand society.

Have you struggled to stay up-to-date on all the latest trends for DCI? Then the newest addition to our Essential Series “Data Center Interconnect Essentials: Connecting Data Centers” should help. This eBook provides:

  • An introduction to DCI for those needing a refresh on the basics
  • Technologies that are driving the future of DCI
  • DCI applications and deployment scenarios
  • Important factors to consider before deploying your next DCI solution

To learn more about DCI and its challenges, applications, and technology, download the Data Center Interconnect Essentials.