Italy demonstrates the changing factors that are now impacting on data centers around the world. A snapshot of what has prompted data center investment activity across Italy in the immediate past and into the immediate future indicates different sets of priorities between the year to come and the year just passed.

In the previous 12 months (2008 to 2009) the emphasis has been on catering for increasing IT requirements and increasing power into the data center. These two main reasons will be supplemented into 2010 with factors of improving efficiency, improving cooling, cost reduction and preparation for virtualization.

The sample of Italian data center owners and operators are responsible for around 25,000 racks and 100,000 square metres, and projected data center investment of over €900 million in 2009/10.