Types of Data Center Business – Retail vs. Wholesale

在網路上看到幾篇文章,在比較兩種數據中心經營的型態,覺得很有趣,在此整理一下要點:

Comparing Wholesale Data Centers vs. Colocation Data Centers

http://www.sphomerun.com/blog/comparing-wholesale-data-centers-vs.-colocation-data-centers

前同事E大的比喻很傳神,Wholesale Datacenter business 有點像是數據中心屆的好市多,相對的我倒覺得Retail colocation datacenter (這個字翻譯意思是託管),像是全聯社。這樣的比喻就可以從商場規模,計價方式,客戶層上的差異來做討論,儘管文末也強調,這兩者的界線正逐漸模糊。

Wholesale Datacenter business
"When size is a major factor in the decision process, going with wholesale colocation is the best option. However, the major difference between the two comes from the pricing structure for power usage; in wholesale environments, the power will be metered."

上面這段就是在說,好市多型態的數據中心提供者,通常會以設備所消耗的能源來計價,E大說這就有點像是手機電信業者所謂的數據量計價,會根據使用者的用量而有所差異。同時,這種型態的供應商,通常不會有太多樣性的產品,而是一個類似標準產品結構來做出售。而客戶對於這樣的產品管理及資源攝取上,也有完全的自主權。

Colocation Data Centers

"Small businesses often choose colocation providers since they usually need less than 100 kilowatts for their operations. Businesses simply pay a flat fee without any room for surprises down the line."

"Colocation retail providers charge businesses on a per circuit basis, meaning you will pay for the entire circuit regardless of usage. This pricing structure is a great option if space and power requirements are minimal because the power requirements can scale with the business as it grows."

至於這種全聯社型態的colocation datacenter提供的對象,相對是比較中小型的使用者,相對的它們在能源的用量通常小於100千瓦,所以E大認為全聯社乾脆用吃到飽的方案來滿足他們。

同時,在產品的相容性上,將可以提供使用者更多樣化的和不同的企業夥伴設備做連接。這些使用者也仰賴業者提供設備維護管理的服務,但好市多則是將所有的維護管理下放給買家。

那麼,市場上的業者究竟是屬於以上哪一種型態呢? 下面這篇文章的答案,出乎我和E大的預料,因為光通業界的北美四大天王竟然都沒有入榜,推測是他們只跟自己玩,並沒有提供出售的服務,或者他們的提供者就在以下這些業者之中,因此被歸類為買家。

Here are the 10 Largest Data Center Providers in the World

文中也列舉了兩種業者的前五大,以及市場占比和所在地等資訊:

Five Largest Wholesale Data Center Providers/ Example of DS locations
1. Digital Realty Trust: market share 20.5 percent 北美舊金山
2. Global Switch: market share 7.7 percent/ Singapore Tai Seng data center by Global Switch
3. DuPont Fabros Technology: market share 6.0 percent/ ACC7 data center in Ashburn, Virginia,
4. CyrusOne: market share 4.3 percent/ CyrusOne's Chandler I data center outside of Phoenix
5. China Telecom: market share 4.3 percent/China Telecom's Inner Mongolia data center

Five Largest Retail Colocation Data Center Providers
1. Equinix: market share 10.5 percent/Equinix's HK1 data center in Hong Kong
2. China Telecom: market share 5.9 percent/China Telecom data center in Shanghai
3. China Unicom: market share 4.3 percent/ A rendering of China Unicom's Global Center data center in Hong Kong
4. Telehouse (KDDI): market share 3.3 percent/ Telehouse Teleport data center in New York
5. NTT Communications: market share 2.1 percent/ Inside the CA3 data center in Sacramento, California, by NTT subsidiary RagingWire

上述全聯社的王者Equinix,其厲害之處在於:


"Equinix 正一步步完善了其內部生態架構;其實提到 Amazon,「Equinix Cloud Exchange 的發展之路與這些公有雲十分相似」;不同的只是在於 Equinix Cloud Exchange 提供的是私有雲,但卻以公有雲的經營模式向 Equinix 客户提供服務"
https://www.hkitblog.com/?p=24541


結論是,這產業的型態,也可以做消費型的市場分析,但個人對於資料提供端的市場認識還很粗淺,希望能藉此討論作為開端,提升自己的知識面。







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