A new, innovative era for data centres

Data centres are the new essential infrastructure for our digital world. Thanks to our increasing reliance on digital devices, from iPhones and laptops to smart vehicles, IoT and new building technology, there is an expectation of being always on, and connected, no matter the circumstances.

Data centres play a critical role in making sure that happens. Currently, South Africa leads the market with data centres on the continent, with Johannesburg labelled the data centre capital, and Growthpoint Properties is primed to support the growth strategy of these international companies.

Our approach is to first look at the fundamentals in creating efficient, manageable and scalable developments that meet the organisation’s business needs. Changes in functionality and design trends are also key factors in developing future-proof data centres.

What will the data centres of tomorrow look like?

Modular design: Data centre infrastructure can become more complex as new technologies emerge, and the likely result is a mix of unsuited frameworks with little to no room to expand. By switching to a modular design, businesses are provided far more ease and flexibility, allowing IT engineers to add or remove building blocks when needed.

Service Continuity: Data centres wanting to stay competitive have to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. They need to increase storage capacity quickly and cost-effectively add new capabilities. It’s no longer a case of building out but building smart.

Sustainability: There is another challenge that faces the data centre sector. Data centres are large energy users and significant contributors to carbon emissions. Data centres contribute 3 per cent of carbon emissions to our environments. Not only should data centres be available to meet our needs, but they should also be environmentally and socially sustainable too.

Growthpoint Properties is currently developing the Johannesburg 1 Data Centre – JOH1 – the first NTT data centre in Africa at Centralpoint Innovation District in Samrand, Johannesburg.

NTT operates one of the largest data centre platforms in the world, with over 160 data centres spanning more than 20 countries and regions. The multi-million-Rand project, which broke ground in September 2020, comprise 6,000sqm of IT space and 20 MW of IT load facility. JOH1 will also feature high-end offices with an NTT Technology Experience Lab (TEL), all supported by specialised state-of-the-art security solutions.

The data centre is being built to tier-three standards and is expected launch in April this year.