INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Data Centres
network service providers. Equinix's 2019
predictions include:
1. Paving a way to the promise of 5G
– Tomorrow’s high-speed wireless
networks will accelerate today’s
network transformation
Equinix anticipates that 5G will open
up endless possibilities of Digital
Transformation, especially in an IoT and
AI-connected world. To attain the high
radio density required for 5G, operators
are looking to optimise costs through
the use of open-source commodity
networking hardware and virtualisation
of the wireless networking stack. These
efforts will pave the way for an edge
architecture to solve for cloud radio
networks that will power several radios
through pools of virtualised network
software. Equinix anticipates increased
investments in 2019 in the revamping
of existing cellular building infrastructure
and building of new edge infrastructure,
as well as innovation in hardware and
virtual wireless networking stacks for
both performance and cost optimisation.
2. Riding the rise of Distributed
Artificial Intelligence Architectures –
Next-gen architectures will break free
from centralised locations
Equinix predicts that the growing
use of AI in business and society will
increase data usage exponentially.
While first-generation AI architectures
have historically been centralised,
Equinix predicts that in 2019 enterprises
will enter the realm of distributed AI
architectures, where AI model building
and model inferencing will take place
at the local edge, physically closer to
the origin source of the data. To access
more external data sources for accurate
predictions, enterprises will turn to secure
data transaction marketplaces. They will
also strive to leverage AI innovation in
multiple public clouds without getting
locked into a single cloud, further
decentralising AI architecture.
3. ‘Un-Blocking’ the chain – A network
of networks will mature Blockchain
for greater business security
and monetisation
Blockchain investments are growing at
a CAGR of 73%, with a projected total
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spending of US$ 11.7 billion by 2022,
according to IDC. Equinix predicts that
enterprises will start to participate in
multiple Blockchain networks (e.g food
safety, financial services, global container
shipment), thus creating a network of
networks – something that allows them
to simultaneously interact with multiple
Blockchain ecosystems.
Blockchain performance will become
a more important requirement within
the enterprise space, driven by the
need to accommodate more than
simple transaction data or as an
element in applications where real-
time performance and linkage with
other data sources matter. Examples
of performance-sensitive Blockchain
applications include track and trace
(supply chain), machine-to-machine
(IoT) communication/exchange, and
cross-border currency settlement, just to
name a few.
Integration will become a huge
challenge as enterprises combine
their legacy applications with multiple
Blockchain networks, necessitating
the deployment of exchange points
for Blockchain participants to directly
connect and collaborate.
4. Manoeuvring the data privacy maze
– Changing data protection laws
and heightened privacy concerns
will inspire more progressive and
distributed security processes
Many enterprises and SaaS providers
are deploying mini-clouds in multiple
regions in order to adhere to local
data residence and compliance
requirements. They are also looking
at distributed data management
architectures that require global
networks and data fabrics in order to
coherently manage these distributed
mini-clouds.
Equinix predicts that in order to prevent
data breaches and retain control over
their data, enterprises will consider
new data management techniques
that operate seamlessly on encrypted
data (for example, limited forms of
data querying on homomorphically
encrypted data). Enterprises will
also consider new hardware-based
virtualisation technology that will
prevent service providers from
surveilling their customer’s data.
5. Tapping interconnection to tame
cloud complexity – Hybrid multicloud
environments will increase the
relevance of interconnection
Enterprises are now accessing SaaS,
IaaS and PaaS solutions from multiple
providers and Equinix anticipates
that 2019 will see the next level of
challenges associated with hybrid cloud
and multicloud approaches.
Equinix believes enterprises will
struggle with expanding their security
perimeters, as well as integration and
management issues as they pursue
hybrid multicloud architectures. These
predicted trends indicate that enabling
capabilities such as security, analytics
and data exchange in close proximity
to the cloud is a must for seamless
cross-border data flow, and the right
interconnection partner can help
organisations navigate through the
complexity of cloud.
According to the Global Interconnection
Index, a market study published by
Equinix, Interconnection Bandwidth
between Enterprises and Cloud
and IT Providers is projected to grow
98% per annum through 2021,
supporting businesses building out
new digital services and migrating
existing workloads to third-party
cloud platforms.
Brian Lillie, Chief Product Officer,
Equinix said: “The market is at an
inflection point, where the right digital
strategies become the differentiator
and source of competitive advantage
for organisations. And for the first time
in history, the technology to fully enable
digital business is available to everyone.
As a trusted advisor to thousands of
customers around the world, we closely
track the market trends that will shape
the future of digital enteprise, and help
bring customer-inspired innovation to
life on Platform Equinix.” n
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