A review on Mark Acton's 2022 predictions

Find out below if he was bang on the button or a couple of ports short of a functioning ‘Nostradamus’ network…

Prediction: ​​The boom in African data center development will accelerate in 2022.

Reality: The headlines speak for themselves. Take, for example, the recent news that Equinix is to follow in the digital footsteps of Google and AWS by investing $160 million in a South African data center.

Prediction: Mergers and acquisitions activity will continue to be high.

Reality: There has been record-setting activity during 2022. In October it was reported that closed deals totalled more than $30 billion, with a further $17 billion in the pipeline. 

Prediction: Equipment supply chain issues will endure throughout 2022.

Reality: At the time of typing, supply chains remain stretched and the cost of equipment has increased accordingly. There are some signs of improvement as the year nears an end, but these are tempered by energy supply stresses as a consequence of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Prediction: Data centers will remain as a top performing investment asset class.

Reality: In 2021, the total investment in global data center infrastructure hit $53.8 billion and the market shows no sign of slowing. Indeed, by the summer of 2022 investment levels were more than double that for the same period in the previous year.

Prediction: Remote management of ‘dark’ sites will lead a resurgence of interest in fit-for-purpose Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solutions.

Reality: A renewed appetite for DCIM tools is building, with energy efficiency – rather than simply improvements in operational management – the key driver.

Prediction: There will be an increasing realisation that the secrets to delivering energy efficient operations can be found in software and ICT infrastructure rather than the physical buildings that house them.

Reality: There are many in the sector who are waking up to the fact that power usage effectiveness (PUE) values are not the be-all-and-end-all. The fog is lifting but the fixation with PUE will take more time to shift.

Prediction: There will be an upsurge in social and legal challenges around privacy and information rights as governments and legislation struggle, and broadly fail, to keep pace with technological advances. 

Reality: Perhaps because of more pressing geo-political and fiscal issues, this has not proved the case but that does not mean the blister will not burst!

Prediction: The focus of social media platforms will be on becoming more responsible and less profiteering in their outlook. 

Reality: And then along came Elon Musk. Never mind.

Prediction: Direct liquid cooling will be heavily promoted and gain niche appeal but will not become mainstream in the short-term.

Reality: Direct liquid cooling, particularly immersion cooling, was marketed heavily during 2022 and while still not considered ready for mainstream deployment, pilot studies are underway. 

Prediction: 5G will be promoted as 'coming soon' but infrastructure roll out will be slow and services very limited. The investment and infrastructure required for significant coverage beyond major metropolitan areas is greater than many appreciate and will hold back deployment.

Reality: Spot on. Step outside a city and check your mobile to see for yourself.