遠程數據中心業務擴張 蓬勃發展

Remote data centres are expanding as more organisations outsource in-house computer systems to networked computer servers for the storing or distribution of large amounts of information.

隨着更多機構將內部計算機系統外包、由網絡化計算機服務器進行大量信息的存儲和分發，遠程數據中心業務正在擴張。

Data centre services range from the actual physical space needed to house an organisation’s private computers and software, to hosting data and applications and cloud computing.

數據中心的服務範圍從放置機構的私密計算機和軟件所需的實體空間，到管理數據、應用和雲計算。

Big names already operating in the sector include Amazon Web Services, which belongs to the US-based online retailer.

已經在該領域開展業務的知名品牌包括美國在線零售商亞馬遜(Amazon)旗下的亞馬遜網絡服務(Amazon Web Services)。

Market watchers say one driver of future growth is likely to be the increasing amounts of data needed to operate driverless cars, which require large quantities of real-time data that will be gathered from and interpreted by sensors inside and outside the vehicle.

市場觀察人士表示，數據中心未來發展的一個驅動因素可能是，運行無人駕駛汽車所需的日益增多的數據——無人駕駛汽車需要大量實時數據，這些數據由汽車內外的傳感器收集和解析而來。

Some estimates put the amount of information that will need to be gathered and analysed to operate a driverless car at 1 gigabyte a second, equal to about five hours of streamed television.

根據一些估測，運行無人駕駛汽車所需收集和分析的信息量爲每秒1千兆字節(GB)，相當於網絡電視約5個小時的數據傳輸量。

Growth will also be driven by the so-called internet of things.

物聯網也將拉動數據中心的發展。

According to BroadGroup, a consultancy, the value of the data-service sector in western Europe alone will rise from Euro4.5bn in 2014 to more than Euro8bn in 2019.

根據諮詢公司BroadGroup的說法，僅西歐的數據服務業的價值就將從2014年的45億歐元增長到2019年的逾80億歐元。

The vast amounts of data being collected have already led to consolidation in the industry.

海量數據的收集已經導致行業發生整合。

For example, US-based Equinix acquired UK-based TelecityGroup for ￡2.6bn in January as part of a bid to increase its European operations.

比如，美國的Equinix今年1月斥資26億英鎊收購了英國的TelecityGroup，作爲加強其歐洲業務的努力的一部分。

Location is important for both clients and service providers because of the need to comply with different jurisdictions’ data protection regulations.

出於遵守不同司法管轄區數據保護法規的需要，數據中心的地點對客戶和服務提供商都很重要。

Rules on what information can be stored and for how long can vary from place to place and also because of changes in legislation.

不同地方能夠存儲的信息類型和存儲時長可能存在差異，法規的修改也可能導致這種差異。

For example, the EU scrapped its data-sharing agreement with the US last year following the revelations about data gathering by US security agencies in documents leaked by US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

比如，在美國情報機構合同工愛德華•斯諾登(Edward Snowden)泄露的文件揭露美國安保機構的數據收集活動後，去年歐盟(EU)廢除了與美國的數據共享協議。

A new agreement, the EU-US Privacy Shield, has been beset with wrangling and has yet to come into force.

新的數據共享協議《歐美隱私盾協議》(EU-US Privacy Shield)目前陷入了爭論之中，目前還未生效。

The UK vote to split from the EU is further likely to add to the confusion about where companies can store their data.

英國退出歐盟(EU)的公投結果，有可能進一步加深關於企業可以把數據存儲在哪裏的困惑。

Amazon Web Services has announced plans to open a UK data centre, its third in the current EU member states, partly as an effort to address sovereignty concerns for European clients.

亞馬遜網絡服務已宣佈一項在英國設立數據中心的計劃，除了英國以外，該公司還在兩個歐盟成員國各設立了一個數據中心，這是其應對歐洲客戶對主權的擔憂的部分努力。

Despite the growth in outsourcing data centre services, executives seeking to hire external providers need to be aware of attendant risks.

儘管外包數據中心服務正在增長，尋求僱傭外部供應商的企業高管需要留意隨之而來的風險。

Alex Rabbetts, chief executive of MigSolv, a UK-based data centre, says it can be hard for would-be customers to gauge how effective data service providers may be because certification standards are often meaningless and confusing to non-specialists.

位於英國的數據中心MigSolv的首席執行官亞歷克斯•拉貝茨(Alex Rabbetts)表示，潛在客戶很難衡量數據服務提供商的可能服務效率，因爲資質標準在非專業人士看來通常毫無意義又難以理解。

One standard is energy consumption, which is used to measure centres’ effectiveness.

一個資質標準是能耗，用來衡量數據中心的效率。

A data centre may claim a certain power effectiveness rating but this may not include the whole facility.

一個數據中心可能聲稱達到了某種能效級別，但可能不是整個設施都達到了這個級別。

So it is hopeless as a comparison tool and confusing, Mr Rabbetts says.

因此，這作爲一種比較工具毫無意義，也令人費解，拉貝茨說。

Another problem is poor customer service.

另一個問題是糟糕的客戶服務。

A 2015 survey of more than 30,000 data centre users by MigSolv found the industry produced low levels of customer satisfaction.

2015年MigSolv對逾3萬名數據中心用戶進行的一項調查表明，該行業的用戶滿意度水平較低。

Stuart Barnett, chief technology officer of Wi-Q, an online restaurant ordering service, has tried several big providers and says that technical problems are often handled by email.

在線餐廳訂餐服務Wi-Q的首席技術官斯圖爾特•巴尼特(Stuart Barnett)嘗試過幾家大型數據服務提供商，他表示技術問題通常依靠電子郵件處理。

This does not matter if you are just using a data centre for storage, Mr Barnett says.

如果你只利用數據中心進行數據存儲，這不是什麼問題，巴尼特說。

But we’re running a service and our clients — bars and restaurants — need to know that their customers’ orders have been received.

但我們在運營一項服務，我們的客戶——酒吧和餐廳——需要知道他們客戶的訂單已經收到了。

Being able to interrogate data fast is core to our business.

能夠快速查詢數據是我們的業務的核心要求。

Reliability is also important.

可靠性同樣重要。

The average cost of a data centre outage has risen from $506,000 in 2010 to $740,000 now, according to some estimates.

據一些估測，數據中心服務中斷的平均成本已經從2010年的50.6萬美元上升到現在的74萬美元。

Costs can also be an issue.

成本也可能成爲問題。

Some older data centres have been accused of imposing unreasonable fees for routine services and long contracts.

一些較老的數據中心被指對常規服務和長期合同收取不合理的高昂費用。

However, increased competition is also leading to more flexible purchasing and pay-monthly options that can reduce fees.

然而，競爭的日趨激烈也催生了一些更靈活的購買方案和月付方案，這些方案能夠減少費用。

Steve Wallage, managing director of BroadGroup Consulting, says: A number of smaller providers is starting to appear with a ‘we try harder’ approach and a customer relationship and support mentality.

諮詢公司BroadGroup的董事總經理史蒂夫•沃利奇(Steve Wallage)表示：市場上開始出現一些打出‘我們更努力’旗號、有客戶關係和客戶支持意識的中小型數據服務提供商。