Data Centre Pricing is Evolving Rapidly With Inflation Adjustment & New Cloud Fabric Services Being the Key Developments Worldwide a New Report Finds
The analyst herein provides an insight into data centre pricing adopted across the globe and the key trends to the Future of Data Centre Pricing. The report quantifies the 10 key trends taking place in Data Centre Pricing worldwide. One of the trends identified is that Data Centre Providers are seeking to charge more for their ancillary services - Ancillary services are providing a useful source of additional revenue to colocation services and Data Centre Providers are making substantial new investments in DCIM services and cloud fabric services. Reported Data Centre financial results however seem to indicate that there is only a gradual increase in non-colocation services, as shown with an example.
The report also looks at Remote hands services which are being offered at a range of different pricing.
The analyst concludes that Inflationary conditions are likely to persist and pricing for rack space rentals is increasing in most markets by an average of around 2 percent per annum. There has been an increase in rentals in selected Tier 2 markets in particular driven by the introduction of wholesale capacity from cloud and hyperscale users. The launch of new capacity increases price levels over time. Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) are building new Availability Zones (AZ’s) in Tier 2 markets including Athens, Israel, Madrid, Milan, Oslo, Stockholm, Turin, Vienna & Warsaw as part of a programme of deploying cloud services in new markets (partly to generate new users and to allay data sovereignty concerns).
The main pricing increase has been in power costs - Although energy costs are typically “passed through” power usage applied by a Data Centre Provider typically are applied with an extra margin to cover facility costs (with the exception of the USA market where Data Centres are prohibited from adding any additional power charge unless they are a registered utility). The power costs applied vary by Data Centre Provider. The per kW rental rate applied is also increased by a factor to cover the facility's operational cost, typically multiplied by a PUE (Performance Usage Effectiveness) factor of up to 1.5 times allowing an additional rental cost.
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Methodology
Executive Summary
Part One - An introduction to Data Centre Pricing
- Introduction
- The factors that influence Data Centre Pricing
- The elements of Data Centre Pricing
- The different models for Data Centre Pricing
- The changes in Data Centre Pricing
- Summary
Part Two - The Future of Data Centre Pricing
- Introduction
- The Future of Data Centre Pricing
- Data Centre Pricing around the world
- New types of Data Centre Pricing
- Summary
Part Three - Key Trends & Conclusions in the Future of Data Centre Pricing
- Introduction
- The 10 Key Trends in Data Centre Pricing
- Data Centre Pricing in the next 5 years - from the end of 2022 to the end of 2027
- Conclusions to the Future of Data Centre Pricing
- Summary
Appendices
Appendix One - The companies mentioned in the Future of Data Centre Pricing report
A list of Figures - The Future of Data Centre Pricing report
Figure 1 - The distinction between retail and wholesale Data Centre facilities
Figure 2 - A schematic showing the Aruba Cloud campus Data Centre layout
Figure 3 - A schematic showing the pricing models used for colocation services versus the public cloud
Figure 4 - A table showing examples of Data Centre web-based portal functionality
Figure 5 - A schematic showing the DCIM software components that are available
Figure 6 - A photograph of a cabinet for a 19” rack with 42U server capacity
Figure 7 - A schematic showing the different layout available in a Data Centre facility
Figure 8 - A picture showing the factors that impact Data Centre Pricing
Figure 9 - A table showing the types of wholesale Data Centre contracts available
Figure 10 - A picture showing a picture as an example of a wholesale Data Centre
Figure 11 - A schematic showing a plan of a Data Centre with multiple data halls for different users
Figure 12 - A table showing the types of Data Centres being offered worldwide
Figure 13 - A table and chart showing the range of Data Centre pricing per region and by country market
Figure 14 - A table showing the key country & metro market rental rates in Europe (in Euro per month)
Figure 14 - A picture showing the proposed 3rd Google hyperscale Data Centre facility in Singapore
Figure 15 - A picture showing the Hyperscale Data Centre being developed by Hines & Compass Datacenters near Milan, Italy
Figure 16 - A chart showing the trend in power costs as a proportion of total Data Centre costs - in percent
Figure 17 - A chart showing the bundled power model
Figure 18 - A chart showing the space plus PUE rental model
Figure 19 - A chart showing the components of the metered power model
Figure 20 - A chart showing the metered power model plus Price Escalator
Figure 21 - A chart showing the key factors that influence Data Centre Pricing
Figure 22 - A schematic showing the components of an established Data Centre ecosystem
Figure 23 - A schematic showing the Equinix IBX SmartView service
Figure 24 - A table showing the itemized construction costs for a low-cost & a high-cost Data Centre facility - with examples
Figure 25 - A chart showing a comparison of the utility power costs and the kWH Data Centre power costs in Euro
Figure 26 - A chart showing the rack space rentals that can be applied by a Data Centre Provider
Figure 27 - A chart showing the calculation of the PUE (Performance Usage Effectiveness)
Figure 28 - A table showing the metered power costs in kWH in USD
Figure 29 - A schematic showing examples of the types of cross connects provided by a Data Centre Provider
Figure 30 - A table showing the other types of connectivity services being offered by the Data Centre Provider
Figure 31 - A schematic showing the range of connectivity types offered by a Data Centre Provider
Figure 32 - A table showing examples of rack space rental pricing from selected Data Centre Providers in Europe
Figure 33 - A table showing the average rack space rentals in selected European metro markets 2019 vs. 2022 (shown in Euro per month)
Figure 34 - A table showing average rack space rentals in selected Tier 2 European metro markets (in Euro per month) from 2019 to 2022
Figure 35 - A table showing the average rental rack space pricing per metro market in Euro per month
Figure 36 - A chart showing the construction cost of Data Centres worldwide in USD per kW
Figure 37 - A chart showing a comparison of the forecast growth rates for retail Data Centre and wholesale Data Centre Providers in percent from 2022 to 2027
Figure 38 - A bar chart showing the difference in average rack space rentals between developed and developing markets in USD per month
Figure 39 - A table showing examples of the non-colocation services being provided by Data Centres worldwide
Figure 40 - A pie chart showing the range of non-colocation services offered by Data Centres worldwide as a percentage
Figure 41 - A table showing examples of new types of connectivity services being offered by a Data Centre
Figure 42 - A table showing examples of Data Centres as a Content Data Centre Hub
Figure 43 - A map showing the subsea cable systems connecting in the Marseille region
Figure 44 - A picture showing the Equinix Data Centre locations with connectivity to subsea cable systems worldwide
Figure 45 - A table showing examples of the annual price escalators provided by Data Centre Providers
Figure 46 - A table showing the increase in forecast European utility costs in kWH (Euro cents)
Figure 47 - A chart showing the average Data Centre rack space rental in USD/month for selected North American metro markets
Figure 48 - A chart showing the average Data Centre rack space rental in USD/month for selected South American metro markets
Figure 49 - A chart showing the average Data Centre rack space rental in USD/month for selected Asia Pacific metro markets
Figure 50 - A chart showing the average Data Centre rack space rental in Euro/month for selected European metro markets
Figure 51 - A chart showing the average Data Centre rack space rental in USD/month for selected India & Oceania metro markets
Figure 52 - A chart showing the different Data Centre rack space rentals by region in USD per month
Figure 53 - A chart showing the change in Equinix colocation & non-colocation revenues as a percentage of the total - from Q2 2017 to Q2 2022
Figure 54 - A chart showing the Data Centre rentals by region in USD per month
Figure 55 - A table showing the companies that are included in the Future of Data Centre Pricing report
Executive Summary
The analyst finds that Data Centre Pricing is continuing to evolve worldwide as Data Centre Providers respond to a series of new challenges. The challenges include:
- The migration to cloud services: Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) are a significant user of colocation capacity, accounting for 30% of revenues. Retail Data Centres are offering both colocation services and access to the cloud as part of a hybrid cloud solution. But those local Data Centres without cloud access face an uncertain future.
- Wholesale Data Centre capacity is growing rapidly worldwide: Wholesale Data Centre capacity is growing worldwide, driven by CSPs and hyperscale users, as cloud providers expand their services into new markets.
- Price rentals for Data Centres are increasing over time: Data Centre rentals are increasing as new high specification facilities are launched. The construction cost of new facilities is increasing. Additionally, Data Centre Providers are introducing a CPI (Consumer Price Index) factor into their end-user pricing to cover inflation & protect their margins.
- Power pricing is also increasing rapidly: Data Centre power costs worldwide are increasing as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Data Centre Providers are passing on the increase in power costs to their users, with utility costs increasing by as much as 80% in Europe over the last 6 month period.
Data Centre Providers are seeking to diversify their business by introducing a range of new connectivity services. These include cloud fabric services (which provide access to a number of cloud providers using a virtualised online portal), metro connectivity services and IXP (Internet Exchange) services to connect to a range of ISPs.
Data Centres are investing in online portals and DCIM (Data Centre Investment Management) for service automation - in order to provide near real-time information - on current server utilisation and power usage. They are also set to introduce predictive analytics using machine learning and AI to forecast future usage. Despite the investment in new technology and connectivity services the majority of Data Centre Provider revenues are derived from colocation services. And the rentals of Data Centres remain focused on dedicated cabinets or racks using long-term contracts and so are different from the virtualised on-demand services used by the CSP.
Data Centre rack space rentals are increasing over time. But there remains a wide range of average rack space pricing worldwide with considerable differences between regions. Average Data Centre rentals in the most mature markets such as Europe and North America are considerably lower than the newer Data Centre markets in the Asia Pacific and South America regions where rentals remain much higher.
Key Data Centre pricing is typically composed of a core rental for rack space plus a rental for the “right” to use an amount of power plus a usage charge per kWH (kilo-Watt Hour) which varies according to usage. Data Centre capacity continues to increase, particularly in Tier 2 markets where cloud operators are introducing services (in countries such as South Africa and Mexico) and is driving ecosystems in those regions. Data Centre capacity is set to continue to increase despite the economic conditions.
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Aruba Cloud
- Equinix Data Centre
- Hines & Compass Datacenter
- Hyperscale Data Centre
Methodology
The analyst researches its reports typically within a three-month period. All of its reports are based on primary and secondary research including interviews with relevant companies/operators covered in the report. The analyst also draws on its extensive in-house database and its contacts in the field of telecommunications it has established since the company was launched in 2006.
The analyst has 26-years of experience in the field of telecoms pricing both mobile and fixed. They have a network of consultants as well as a multi-lingual research team, with languages spoken French, German, Polish and Spanish.
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