Globalization is shaking the dominance of the United States in data centers, while the move from in-house sites towards the cloud and colocation continues is continuing apace, according to new research.

Emerging markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America are taking short cuts to establish modern cloud data centers in these regions, without passing through the traditional route of in-house data centers, which has been followed in established markets, according to DCD Intelligence’s new report, Global Data Center Market Overview and Forecasts, 2014-2020.

Alpha market challenged

“The world still has its alpha market – the United States – which in all probability will continue to lead the IT and data center world for decades to come,” says the report, ”but markets that are now emerging recognise that they do not have to follow the route that established markets followed. Just as their citizens are not following the desktop/laptop route to the Internet but going straight to smartphone and tablet, so their businesses are not necessarily following the traditional in-house server and data center route to meeting IT requirements.”

Because new technologies allow emerging markets to get started more quickly, the report suggests the difference between the older markets and the younger ones is now one of degree rather than a difference of kind.

Overall, shared facilities will grow at 9 percent per year from 2014 to 2020, while in-house data centers will only grow at 1.29 percent per year. 

The 67 percent of global data center floor space which is currently in-house will have decreased to 57 percent by 2020, according to the report. 

The “Global Data Center Market Overview and Forecasts 2014-2020” Report includes original survey data in a pivot table format for further research and analysis.