LAS VEGAS – IT pros think container-based data centers can fill specific, niche needs but broader acceptance of data center containers hasn’t taken hold.

Three such container data centers were on display at the Gartner Data Center Conference this week, and some attendees were intrigued.

"It’s a very interesting concept; this is the first one we’ve looked at," said Bruce Kantor, the director of enterprise technology services for PPL Services Corp., an electric utility in Allentown, Pa. "Right now it might be [niche], but as people get more comfortable with the idea, it could grow."

His company might consider such implementations for disaster recovery, he said.

"I could plant it somewhere for backup if need be, and then I could move it if need be," he said. IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and SGI showcased data centers in a shipping container at the conference. IBM also said that several data center infrastructure vendors – Liebert, Eaton and APC among them – have supported its concept. But even Steve Sams, VP of site and facilities for IBM, said containerized data centers are not for everyone and won’t be for a long time.

more of the SearchDataCenter article from Mark Fontecchio