Canadian Government Executive - Volume 27 - Issue 04

6 / Canadian Government Executive // July/August 2021 PERSPECTIVE Sponsored Content ligence, the global data centre market is expected to reach $174 billion USD by 2023 – and Canada is positioned as an attractive market for investment. Last year, Canada was named the best country in the world to build a data centre thanks to our large, reliable sup- ply of renewable resources and cooler climate, which means less energy is required to keep data centres at an optimal temperature. As more com- panies seek to grow their data centre infrastructure, Canada can emerge as a leader in this space. While the trend towards digitization presents several advantages, including greater connectivity and efficiency, it’s not without threats. Cybersecurity is one of the biggest concerns facing the data centre industry, and the sector has become increasingly prone to attacks due to vulnerabilities that emerged during the pandemic. Proactively re- ducing the likelihood of cybersecurity attacks is imperative in ensuring data centre continuity, especially during critical periods. With this explosive data centre growth, major technology players must consider how to meet demand, while THE FUTURE OF DATA CENTRES: FOUR KEY PILLARS DATA CENTRES MUST ADOPT BY 2025 T he world changed significantly within the past 18 months as the impacts of COVID-19 were felt by every sector around the world. Our reliance on connected de- vices has been rising for years, but the pandemic accelerated our dependency on digitization to an all-time high. While the average Canadian depended on these devices to work, learn and stay connected, businesses, government and critical infrastructure required greater connectivity to remain operational. As the world becomes increasingly digital, data centres must meet the de- mands of this evolution, while support- ing efficient buildings and industries. According to Arizton Advisory & Intel- BY DAVID O’REILLY Vice President of Schneider Electric’s Secure Power Division – Canada ensuring a low-carbon, low-impact approach to their business. By keep- ing the below best practices in mind, organizations can ensure their data centres are equipped to accommodate rising marketplace demands, maintain defenses against cyber threats, and ensure a smooth transition into a more digital and dynamic future. 1. Lead with Sustainability at the Source Digital transformation will play a criti- cal role in driving forward Canada’s economy recovery, and data centres are at the core of this evolution. But as demand grows, it’s imperative the data centre industry sets its sights on sus- tainability. A study conducted by the Internation- al Energy Agency found that although data usage has skyrocketed within the last 10 years, energy consumption from data centres has remained relatively flat. According to the Government of Canada, data centres only consume about one per cent of electricity use annually, which is on par with the global average. While this number may seem insignificant at the onset, in to-