Cloud computing industry is about to develop differentiation trend

First, the differences in the properties of the industrial chain led to the decentralized layout of the cloud computing industry

The cloud computing industry combines technology-intensive, capital-intensive, and energy-intensive industries in the realm of economics.

If subdivided from the industrial chain: cloud computing industry chain through the cloud infrastructure layer, platform and software layer, run the service layer and the application layer is composed of four parts. Cloud infrastructure data center that is the server and storage facilities as the main facilities; platform and software layer cloud platform and cloud-based software; service layer to cloud integration and service-oriented; and application layer to the cloud terminal to load The cloud-based applications. Among them, the cloud infrastructure cloud data center is energy-intensive, while others are technology-intensive.

Different attributes of this industry chain determine the trend of differentiation in the cloud computing industry. Under the action of the market mechanism, each industry chain will look for regions with better dominant factor endowments for development.

Second, the scarcity of factors that make the cloud computing industry chain differentiation and development

Due to the scarcity of factors, cloud computing industry will break the current situation regardless of the industrial chain, the overall focus on economically developed areas. In the future, the various industrial chains will be rationally arranged under the functions of "technology-driven", "demand-driven" and "resource-driven". The platform and software layer are "technology-driven" because of being constrained by technical elements. The "application layer" is strongly constrained by the demand elements and is "demand-driven." They mainly focus on research and development, Application needs of the economically developed areas. On the contrary, the "cloud infrastructure layer" is a property of high energy consumption in a data center. Its development is "resource-driven" and inevitably shifts to regions with good resource endowments such as land, electricity and water and suitable temperature and environment.

Third, the market forces driving cloud computing data center layout return to rational

From the layout of China's cloud computing data center, there is irrational characteristics of the market. The main reason is that it is still in the initial stage of state-led development. In particular, it is under the stage of government policy support. Supported by the preferential policies, cloud computing data centers are concentrated in the three major areas of the Bohai Sea, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta Big economic zone The main consideration is the market demand and economic and technical support factors. Market participants do not take too much account of the sustainability of energy support, mainly because policy support weakens the role of market factors.

However, the future development of cloud computing data center will be a rational return to the market under the constraints of land, energy, cost, etc., and it will be more resource intensive, better air, water and environment, and cold and abundant cold energy regions. This trend is irresistible.

At present, this trend has been seen from a global perspective. Some large foreign companies have set up cloud computing data centers in high latitudes around the world in order to reduce operating costs. For example, the cloud computing data center built by Google in Brussels in the United States requires only manual cooling in only 7 days a year, which has huge advantages in operating costs compared with the data centers that require manual cooling in the year.

Fourth, the economic cycle "crowding-out effect" to speed up the cloud center "looking for the North" process

The reason why China's high-energy-consumption cloud computing data center is distributed in developed regions where energy is scarce is because the cloud computing industry has just started and has not yet undergone the baptism of the economic cycle. Especially at this stage by the financial crisis, the world is still in an economic downturn. The role of non-market factors in the distribution of China's cloud computing data center in an irrational state.

The law of the economic cycle is an objective economic phenomenon that does not depend on the will of the people. Globally, each round of economic cycles will be eliminated and "squeezed out" some industries that are not endowed with advantages.

The "crowding-out effect" of China's economic cycle is mainly reflected in two aspects. One is the market's force. Each round of economic cycle will squeeze out some industries without cost advantage from developed areas and eliminate them to underdeveloped areas. Second, the policy force. Every time the economy is overheated, the macro-control measures of the government reduce the overcapacity industries such as cement, steelmaking and electrolytic aluminum on the one hand and ease the shortage of power supply by taking measures to cut off power supply to major power-hungry consumers on the other hand.

In contrast, cloud computing data center power load is much larger than the industry.

From the macroscopic analysis of our economy, in the "troika" driving economic development, there will be no substantial increase in international exports and domestic consumption in a short period of time, so it is inevitable to increase investment in order to stimulate the economy. However, increasing investment will have to loosen the tightening fiscal and monetary policies - which means an increase in liquidity in the market. Increased liquidity in the market and an increase in exports and consumption will inevitably lead to an overheated economy. Expected in 1.5-2 years will face a new round of overheating adjustment. Therefore, the "crowding-out effect" of objective economic cycle law will relentlessly squeeze cloud computing data center power-hungry consumers from the economically developed areas where manufacturers gather to policy concessions, abundant and abundant low-temperature cold energy resources High latitude area.

To sum up, the trend of differentiation in the development of the cloud computing industry provides a once-in-a-lifetime strategic opportunity for less developed regions with better resources, energy, climatic conditions, sound supporting policies and good network infrastructures, with conditions conducive to Development strategy Emerging industries in less developed areas should be well planned and top-level design, to meet the arrival of this strategic period of opportunity.