Investment banking giant Goldman Sachs will begin using modular data centers to deploy its IT infrastructure, and is working to deploy modules across three continents, the companies said today.
The shift by Goldman Sachs represents a major vote of confidence in modular data center capacity, a trend which began with servers housed in 40-foot-long shipping containers to create a “data center in a box.” These pre-fabricated designs have evolved rapidly, offering flexible designs that can create an enclosed data hall that looks and feels like traditional data center space.
Goldman: Modules Provide ‘Sustainable Enhancements’
Don Duet, global co-chief operating officer of the Technology Division at Goldman Sachs, said the use of modular “provides sustainable enhancements to our data center operations.”
“Their innovative technology and services will allow Goldman Sachs to scale its data center operations more efficiently, and further advance the firm’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship and reduced carbon footprint,” Duet said.
Switching to modular designs will allow Goldman Sachs to save money in both building and operating its infrastructure, the company said, and is expected to improve the energy efficiency of its data center capacity. Data center modules are particularly effective at managing airflow to servers, a key factor in reducing the energy dedicated to cooling.
Goldman Sachs has been one of Wall Street’s technology leaders, investing heavily in hardware and software to help it automate and accelerate its trading strategies. It also has extensive data security and disaster recovery operations. Goldman Sachs operates a network of advanced data centers, including several significant facilities in New Jersey.
A ‘Significant Commitment’
“Goldman Sachs is one of the most advanced companies in one of the most highly regulated industries,”. “This is a significant, long-term commitment. They are truly adopting these principles, and using our technology in every deployment use case.”
That includes housing modules in facilities owned by Goldman Sachs, as well as data centers operated by its partnerswill build and install the modular systems for Goldman Sachs, and support them through its Data Center as a Service , which includes a service level agreement (SLA) and performance targets for Power Usage Effectiveness , a leading metric for data center energy efficiency.
Major Milestone for Modular Design
Running servers in shipping containers and modules was initially viewed as a niche play by many in the data center industry, limited to mobile requirements, temporary capacity, or novel designs like cloud computing facilities. Analysts and industry watchers have debated whether the efficiencies of modular data centers would be embraced by enterprise users, who are sometimes slow to adopt new technology. Others have debated the economics of modular deployments, saying the cost benefits are not clear. However modular deployment provides an approach that integrates repeatable, consistent designs and software. “Technology and relentless innovation are now driving data center infrastructure decisions for the largest companies in the world.”“I believe this is the tipping point,”