
Blog Article
Today, companies of all sizes are investing in AI technologies. Whether you need to take down an entire data hall or you just need a couple of racks, you need to have a plan of how to find the available power and space you need.
Today, companies of all sizes are investing in AI technologies. But whether their purpose is in-house or customer facing, all AI applications have two things in common:
Small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) are developing their own AI applications but will start with smaller scale AI initiatives compared to large enterprises or hyperscalers, where leases are often measured in data halls and megawatts.
But SMBs still face the problem of finding available space and power in a data center that is equipped to handle the infrastructure required for an AI application. If your SMB is planning a deployment for AI, retail colocation, where leases are measured in racks or cabinets, might be the best option for you.
In general, data center providers offer two types of leasing – wholesale and retail colocation.
Wholesale data center colocation is usually done by enterprises and hyperscalers. These companies have large IT and, often, HPC deployments that require massive amounts of space and multiple megawatts of power. A corporation may pre-lease a whole data center floor, or even an entire facility, to house its IT/HPC infrastructure.
Retail colocation leasing is usually done by SMBs with deployments that require less space and power. Multiple companies may share a retail colocation facility, each with its own IT footprint that is separated from other companies’ IT environments by cages or cabinets.
With a multitude of considerations and options that come along with even the smallest deployments, you still need to find a provider that offers the "table stakes" - that is, the essential, mission-critical elements of data center operations. They include:
These basic elements are essential not only for AI deployments, but for the continuous operation of your traditional IT footprint. You need to ensure the safety and uptime of the IT servers that host the everyday applications (mail, eCommerce, etc.) that run your business.
The facilities offered by your data center provider should have the following features to ensure the longevity of your HPC servers, if your AI deployment demands the use of HPC:
Most SMBs take one of two approaches when choosing a provider for their AI deployment:
Traditional retail data centers might not have the power capacity to handle HPC. Working with a proven data center operator that mostly handles enterprise and hyperscale customers can ensure a level of excellence and consistency that your infrastructure needs.
Today’s data center market is being overwhelmed by AI. The demand for new data centers outweighs supply, and providers can’t build new facilities fast enough. Many hyperscalers are pre-leasing data centers wholesale from providers, reserving space and power in facilities that haven’t been built yet. This can make it harder for smaller companies with AI ambitions to find data center housing for HPC deployments.
But many providers, including Sabey, also have space and power in their facilities for retail colocation. If your SMB wants to set up HPC infrastructure for AI development and hosting, you shouldn’t hesitate to investigate your data center options. Sabey offers retail data center options at our SDC Quincy, SDC Seattle and SDC Manhattan campuses.
Call Sabey today to ask about retail space and power availability for IT infrastructure and HPC deployments from SMBs, and to discuss special options such as liquid cooling.