Data Center in a Box: Is Trailer Park Computing Going Mainstream?

By David Tobia
October 4, 2012

The idea of a “data center in a box” has taken hold as demand for Internet data storage rises.
The technology — pioneered by the U.S. military and later adopted by companies like Google and Microsoft — allows companies to store data by stuffing containers full of data centers, and then hooking up the containers to a power and water supply.
Research firm IMS reports the demand for these types of data centers doubled in 2012 and is expected to increase by another 40 percent by next year.
“Data storage and processing is being driven by the growth in mobile computing devices, higher performance computing requirements, increased Internet communication, streaming entertainment, digitization of healthcare and government records, and a migration towards online business models,” explains Liz Cruz, author of the IMS report.
In the short term, this type of data storage is cheaper than building a traditional data center because companies can buy storage as they need it.
In the long run, however, it may prove more costly. But it is also possible that as more companies move into the business of selling this type of storage, the price will drop and the system will become a reasonable long term data storage solution.

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