The megatrend to digitalization in Saudi Arabia is as strong as ever with industry experts proclaiming the onset of the zettabyte era. The reasons for this megatrend are clear: there is an increasing number of users who engage in Video over Internet, cloud computing, virtualization, global ERP systems, social networks, online storage, file sharing and online gaming. Cloud computing is another big trend in Saudi Arabia which is gaining momentum. IDC predicts that the cloud market worldwide alone will have grown into a 45 billion dollar industry by 2014, nearly tripling its business within five years. In 2015, the number of computers, mobile devices etc. connected to IP networks will be double the worldwide human population. This holds huge ramifications for network infrastructures. The greater the number of devices that are active, the more data is produced and exchanged. Data centers are taking on an ever more central significance. Nothing will work anymore without reliable and secure data communication and storage. Shibu Vahid, Head of Technical Operations, R&M Middle East & Africa, said the physical infrastructure, although a small portion of the investment, is the crucial backbone on which the entire data center runs. The typical planning period for data center projects has already decreased from months to weeks. Otherwise, companies could not handle the growth and the short-term requirements. Data center operators have to handle their centers more flexibly, more efficiently and with greater discipline to remain profitable and competitive. – SG
