Talking Heads

TALKING HEADS Stephen Whatling

Stephen Whatling is chairman of Business Critical Solutions

Preparing for the unpredictable future

Preparing for 2050 is an impossible task, believes Stephen Whatling. Especially when it comes to the IT sector which is moving at such a fast pace.

The declaration of net zero has sent most businesses in the energy sector into something of a frenzy. Many organisations are looking at how their products and services might adapt to the new world.

But Stephen Whatling takes a slightly different view of it. The chairman of Business Critical Solutions, a company specialising in optimising digital infrastructure, concedes that the IT sector does have to make some huge strides in optimising its energy use. With continuing growth and demand for IT and data, the sector will be one of the largest global energy consumers he told EiBI. “There’s going to be and has to be an enormous push towards a more sustainable approach to the design of data centre facilities against a backdrop of an unquenchable thirst for more IT technology.”

However, Whatling believes that planning for 2050 is an impossible task. “In a way I think 2050 is too far away for anyone to focus on. First, the need is now and we should be doing all we can to focus on energy-efficient design and solutions. The rate of change and growth in the technology during the last ten years has been enormous. You just can’t predict what the industry will look like in 30 years time,” he stated.

“Things could be developed now in the technology arena that might make the solutions we develop irrelevant. We are moving towards something in 2050 but we don’t know what the end will look like. So the data centre operator should be focused on the here and now and we should be ready to adapt to what the future may bring."

Whatling believes the industry will have to react with a new set of solutions. “In 30 years, we will have a vast array of devices connected to the Internet (IoT) including

Whatling: 'In a way I think 2050 is too far away for anyone to focus on'

‘You don't see many data centre engineers on television’

things like autonomous vehicles. So what will that mean in terms of the huge amount of computer power needed for that network? And how do we supply the cooling for it?”

Greater role for energy management Whatling believes that energy management is playing a greater role than when the company was set up in 2016 along with two colleagues. “We identified that there was a space for a cost consultancy for mission critical work but with a strong focus and alignment to the IT industry. The market is dominated by larger organisations and we saw our opportunity to find a niche. Since then our original customers have stuck with us and we have grown by referral. We’ve just made a job offer to our 25th employee.”

Although energy management might figure high on the company’s agenda, Whatling believes that there is a divide between those who are talking about it and effectively greenwashing and those who are serious about doing something. “There is a divide between those who are committed and those who want to be seen to be doing it. Some may say they purchase renewable energy but who’s to say that is actually the case. And renewable energy doesn’t improve the efficiency of the facility.

“Greenwashing will go on as a result of the demand from IT which will often take precedence. There is a 24/7 thirst for IT to continue to grow. But we have to ask how do we use the energy in the first place. The initial design and technology must not be ignored.”

Whatling is concerned that UK Government policy is lagging way behind the rapid pace of development in the sector. “We don’t have a coherent energy policy in the UK. It’s far too important to leave to a succession of parties, government departments and committees who have differing views. The UK National Infrastructure commission provides strategy and policy advice to Government but we need action from the Government," he adds. "We need stability to be able to plan. We can only buy the energy that is in the grid. We are running out of it and not turning on renewable resources quickly enough."

It’s not just a shortage of energy that might hamper the development of the UK’s IT infrastructure. “It’s difficult to attract people into the industry,” he explains. “It’s amazing how little people know about the data centre industry and what their smartphone is connected to. People know aerospace and other areas of engineering but data centres are off the radar and they too need skilled engineers for the future. But people are interested in the IT side because of people like Mark Zuckerberg. But you don’t see many data centre engineers on television.”

Currently, the UK has a shortage of up to 100,000 science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) graduates, believes Whatling. “So we have to adopt a proactive approach to recruiting.” BCS has expanded its graduate and apprenticeship programme. It follows the success of its work with London South Bank and Sheffield Hallam universities which has seen the company offer three fully funded placements as part of its growth strategy. This year it will expand the number of places it offers and work with other universities including Salford, Reading, Kingston upon Thames and Nottingham Trent.

“There is a great career awaiting with global-scale challenges,” adds Whatling. “In the next ten years we are going to find ways of designing and building energy efficient engineering infrastructure to support IT technologies and equipment that hasn’t been invented yet. What bigger challenge do you need?” 