On June 22, the International Data Center Authority inaugurated the first regional soccer game of the "IDCA Copa Latinoamérica", in Querétaro, Mexico.

At the opening of the tournament, leading technology companies such as Schneider Electric, ABB, Stulz, HiRef, TB&A, H3V, Power & Tel, Magnet, Power Union, Security Control SCD, JLL and BTA; as well as IT managers from Equinix, Kio Networks, Telmex, Odata, Volkswagen, Triara, MTP, Sodexo, Ascenty, JLL and Grupo Salinas discussed the market status of data centers in the country

"It is crucial to unify the market and lay the foundations that will enable an optimal development of the industry. This can be accomplished by creating coexistence spaces that facilitate exchanges of information between experts. This is why IDCA promotes events like these", says Josué Ramírez, Regional Director of IDCA for Latin America.

The IDCA reports that since 2021 and during the first half of 2022, investment in Mexico's data center market increased considerably due to projects of companies specializing in hyperscale data centers, which could add up to more than $300 million dollars.

Although Querétaro remains the epicenter of international investment in data centers, the IDCA also reports that Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara play key roles in the country's growth. In the meantime, states like Guanajuato and Aguascalientes begin to position themselves as leading centers for data center implementation. A combination of weather conditions, along with quality and accessibility in telecommunications, contributes to this. IDCA has also noted that on-premises data center implementation is slowing down, and companies are migrating to private, public, and hybrid clouds.

The training of personnel is also an important trend. Compared to the first half of 2021, applications in this area increased by 20% in the first half of 2022. "The need for specialization in staff and data center certifications is crucial to the market continuing to grow and being attractive to industry-leading companies. It is only one percent of the project investment, yet it can cost between one and ten million dollars to lose operations if not completed", says Ramírez.

According to IDCA, the main challenges facing the Mexican market in the data center industry are: the supply of energy for projects as well as the overdemand of engineering talent specializing in issues relating to data centers. The exponential growth of the data center industry is a reflection of the high demand for storage and processing of information by private, public, and government entities.

To foster the interaction of data center professionals, the "IDCA Copa Latinoamérica" tournament will feature six teams with ten participants. Starting on Thursday, June 23, the league will last 7 weeks in round-robin format.