The world's biggest technology companies are quietly embracing a huge new growth industry – one that was hatched with the birth of the internet and has soared ever since.
You probably won't read about it in the news, though. After all, these companies aren't making or selling anything for consumer use. And it's not what you'd call “sexy” or “exciting.”
But it's absolutely critical to our everyday habits.
That's because in our tech-laden, always-connected lives, and with the incredible growth of mobile devices, we continue to generate an ever-increasing amount of data.
As we do, we need places to store, safeguard, and process it.
Namely, in those faceless buildings called data centers.
A home for Our Digital “Stuff”
Alongside the very first computers in the 1940s came the data center. A cavernous room with an advanced air conditioning system to keep the air cool and clean, and with connections so that people could use the machines.
Whether it's a massive building in Utah like the National Security Agency uses, or a back room at your local auto dealership, these places are critical for the internet, businesses, and consumers. It's where information lives.
But as the internet has exploded – and with it, our data usage – data centers have become even more important. Indeed, the very meaning of a data center is changing, with big consequences for both companies and your experience on the internet.
The Rise of the Mega Data Center
As the amount of data being created has soared, many businesses have neither the desire nor the expertise to manage their information. Instead, they've outsourced site hosting and data management to companies that specialize in operating mega data centers.
Even very large technology companies will outsource management of their hardware and often even their software to outside firms.
Giant companies like IBM (IBM), Equinix (EQIX), Google (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), and others are building these mega data centers. Some smaller companies are building them, too. And there's even a REIT with exposure to this growing industry – the QTS Realty Trust (QTS).
