By 2029, global internet users are projected to reach 7.9 billion: a staggering 47 percent increase from 5.35 billion in 2024, according to Forbes. Every search, every download, every transaction requires more data to support our needs, with customer expectations around security and processing capability on the rise too.
Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that global data storage will surpass 200 zettabytes in 2025 to meet this demand. When this internet usage is coupled with the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, the pressure to boost data center capacity becomes immense.
Despite this pressure, the data center industry has an incredible opportunity to support this revolutionary technology. Where many sectors—such as healthcare—have needed to focus on retrofit to meet capacity and sustainability demands, we have a unique moment to design, build and operate efficient infrastructure now that will meet the emerging demand.
Data centers—the buildings that store and process the data we generate—have become an essential part of our society’s fabric, according to a white paper from BSI, a business improvement and standards company that partners with more than 77,500 clients globally, and CBRE, the global leader in commercial real estate services and investment with more than 140,000 professionals in over 100 countries.
BSI and CBRE looks at the past, present, and future of data centers.