Happy Friday and welcome to Data Center Digest.
We’re covering the business and technology of data centers and digital infrastructure.

Here’s what we’re looking at today:

• China’s new underwater data center module is part of a larger 100-unit plan

• IBM unveils its new quantum computing products and a plan for the future

• What’s more: Taylor Swift fans break usage record, Accelevation is building a powerhouse, and an AWS award

• Hot Links:🌭 Check out this cool chip graphic and step into an AWS facility

Est. read time: 5mins 12secs

Chinese data center sinks to the ocean floor, as planned

The 1300-ton cabin will sit 72 feet below the ocean’s surface and will use ocean water and currents of the ocean for cooling.

The Highlander Project

This will be the first of over 100 planned pods deployed off the coast of Hainan Island, China.

Specific computing information hasn’t been released, but company officials claim the first underwater data-pod will have the power of 60,000 computers working simultaneously. The module has a lifespan of 25 years.

At full build-out, the planned site will consist of about 735,000 sqft of ocean floor. The project also purports to be saving Chinese consumers 122 million kWh of electricity and 105,000 tons of fresh water per year.
The firm behind the project, Highlander, says that it has already received preorders from companies including China Telecom and SenseTime, an AI surveillance company.

Not the first

We’ve covered Microsoft’s attempt at sinking a data center underwater for its Project Natik data center, as well as their Orkney Islands, Scottland data submersible.
However, despite reporting that the underwater data centers increased the reliability of their IT hardware, both projects appear to be on hold or canceled.

A company called Subsea Cloud also plans to deliver cloud services via underwater data center submersibles, but they’ve yet to successfully deploy their concept.

IBM announces new quantum hardware, software

At IBM's Quantum Summit 2023, the company unveiled significant advancements in quantum computing with new hardware and software products.

Quantum processors

The first of the new products included the IBM Quantum Heron, a 133 fixed-frequency qubit processor.

According to IBM, the Quantum Heron processor represents a major improvement over IBM's previous 127-qubit Eagle processors. It supposedly offers a 3-5 times increase in device performance and a 5 times reduction in errors.

Another notable introduction was the IBM Condor, a processor that features 1,121 superconducting qubits arranged in a honeycomb pattern.
This processor increases qubit density by 50 percent and incorporates improvements in qubit fabrication and laminate size, vital for scaling future quantum computing efforts.

Quantum System Two

These processors will be integral to IBM’s new quantum computer currently operational at IBM's New York lab.
The Quantum System Two is the company’s first modular quantum computer and will be the cornerstone of IBM’s quantum-centric supercomputing architecture moving forward.

System Two uses three Heron chips and combines cryogenic infrastructure with modular qubit control electronics to enable parallel circuit executions, a key aspect of quantum-centric supercomputing.

The Quantum System Two will accommodate future processor generations, aiming to enhance operation quality and manage increasingly complex workloads. IBM sees quantum computers as essential tools for exploring the next generation of scientific and computational exploration.

- What’s More -

Swifties break data record

AT&T’s network moved 28.9 terabytes of data during the busiest day of Taylor Swift's three-day tour stop at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

This is the most data processed at a single event that the carrier has ever measured, according to an exclusive story by The Verge.

The company estimates that 1TB of data represents about 200,000 photos or 400 hours of video moving across its network; 28.9TB is a staggering amount of photo and video sharing.

 Read the exclusive here

Zenlayer honored by AWS, second year straight

Zenlayer, a major edge cloud service provider, was honored at Amazon’s Partner Awards Gala for its innovative contributions to AWS, receiving the AWS Rising Star Partner of the Year award for the second consecutive year.

Zenlayer has played a key role in cloud deployments in fast-growing markets, improving application performance for AWS customers. The company has notably optimized streaming for AWS Interactive Video Service (IVS) in Asia and helped AdTiming's AdTech platform reduce latency by 45% during peak times.

Earlier in the year, Zenlayer partnered with Mobily, Saudi Arabia's second-largest ISP, to offer edge computing and connectivity services in Saudi Arabia, thus expanding Zenlayer's global network coverage.

This collaboration is set to benefit industries like gaming, energy, healthcare, and retail through low latency and enhanced user experiences.

Read more here

Accelevation is using acquisitions to create a dc powerhouse

Accelevation Holdings has established a new business division focused on data centers, incorporating its recent acquisitions of Conatech and Instor Solutions.

The Accelevation Data Center Business Unit will merge Instor Solutions' expertise in white space installation and project management with Conatech's data center containment and caging offerings.

The company aims to become the largest integrated data center services provider in the United States.

The new business unit is designed to cater to a diverse range of clients, including hyperscalers, colocation providers, and enterprise customers.
Sam Prudhomme at Accelevation says this combination “positions the unit to effectively support the growing data center market.”

The completion of the Instor acquisition was announced last month, and it has been confirmed by a spokesperson that the Instor Solutions brand will be retained and integrated into the new business unit.

Backed by LFM Capital, Accelevation is a conglomerate that includes manufacturing entities serving various sectors, including data centers, electric vehicles, and robotics.

Read more here

Hot Links 🌭

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- Taylor