Hyperscaler: definition, use cases and limitations

Want to host your data and cloud services but can't decide between the expertise and security of a local data center and the power of a hyperscaler? Here's everything you need to know about hyperscale data centers, the giants that are popping up all over the world.‍
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Hyperscaler definition

Structural characteristics

The term “hyperscaler” is used to refer to two things. On the one hand, it refers to an oversized IT architecture or system that can contain thousands of servers. On the other hand, the term refers to the company that provides this computing capacity to numerous customers. When we talk about “hyperscaler data centers,” we are referring to massive facilities capable of hosting several thousand, or even tens of thousands, of servers. As a general rule, a hyperscaler data center must have at least 5,000 servers in an area of approximately 900 square meters.

What capacities?

Hyperscalers have grown significantly in recent years. According to a study by Synergy Research Group, there were just over 1,100 hyperscale data centers worldwide in 2024. This figure is expected to triple by 2030*. These massive data centers are designed to provide a wide range of cloud services, including computing, storage, and networking. To do so, they rely on a globally distributed infrastructure. In practice, they can accommodate several thousand virtual machines with high-speed connections, ultra-efficient cooling systems, etc. These spectacularly large data centers often have computing capacities ranging from 30 to 150 megawatts of

Hyperscaler vs cloud provider: quelles différences ?

Le cloud provider (fournisseur de services cloud) est une entreprise qui propose des services de type IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) ou SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). Un hyperscaler est donc souvent, à la fois un cloud provider et l’opérateur d’une très grande infrastructure. Tous les cloud providers ne sont en revanche pas des datacenters hyperscale. Certains fournisseurs disposent en effet d'infrastructures plus petites et/ou locales.

Un hyperscaler est donc un cloud provider de très grande échelle. Parmi les grands acteurs mondiaux on peut par exemple citer Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure ou Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Ces sont des hyperscalers car ils gèrent des datacenters massifs capables de fournir des services nécessitant beaucoup de puissance dans le monde entier.
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Pros and Cons

Potential benefits: scalability, redundancy

Hyperscale facilities offer numerous advantages:
High scalability: this type of IT infrastructure can scale up very quickly to accommodate peaks in consumption. This scalability is essential for many services such as streaming, e-commerce, social networks, artificial intelligence services, and online gaming.
Redundancy and high availability: due to their size and geographical distribution, hyperscalers are particularly reliable. Each service is replicated several times on different servers and often in several data centers. This avoids any risk of service interruption for the end user.
Low operating costs: thanks to the principle of economies of scale, the services of a hyperscale infrastructure are relatively cheaper.

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Disadvantages: sovereignty, flexibility

However, hyperscale facilities have some drawbacks, particularly in terms of:

Data security and sovereignty: Your critical data may be transferred between different continents depending on the hyperscalers' optimization algorithms. Extraterritorial regulations such as the Cloud Act allow certain governments to access data hosted by their national companies, even if it is stored in Europe. For regulated sectors—healthcare, finance, defense—this uncertainty about the exact location and access to data seriously complicates GDPR compliance and security audits.

‍Less flexibility: Hyperscalers operate on a “take it or leave it” basis. Their standardized offerings suit 80% of needs, but as soon as you stray from the beaten path, you run into problems. It is impossible to negotiate a specific SLA, have a dedicated technical contact, or customize the infrastructure. An SME that wants a bare metal server with a specific configuration will wait weeks, whereas a local data center can provision it in 48 hours. Vendor lock-in: using the services of a large hyperscaler can lead to a certain degree of lock-in, whether technological or price-related, in the long term. Environmental issues: although hyperscale data centers are increasingly optimizing their infrastructure, their massive scale means they consume much more energy.

IT architecture and infrastructure

Hyperscale infrastructure: what are the technical characteristics?

Hyperscale solutions are designed to be easily scalable. This means that servers or storage can be added without having to rebuild everything. They also run on software that automatically manages machines, distributes data, and ensures good performance, even when demand increases significantly.

Deployment: how should it be approached?

To use the services of a hyperscaler, you first need to carefully assess your needs. Data volume to be processed, traffic, cloud service location... hyperscale data center services can be adapted to very large requirements. Geographical issues (where the data centers are located) in terms of latency and security should also be taken into account before getting started. Similarly, you should anticipate how your needs will evolve so that the architecture can keep pace with your usage.
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Security and compliance

What security measures are needed for a hyperscale data center?

Security is a priority in a hyperscale environment, where billions of pieces of data are transferred. That is why it is important to implement security measures at different levels: Physical security: access to buildings housing data centers must be properly controlled (biometrics, identity and access management, permanent surveillance, separation of critical areas, etc.). Network and system security: the network itself must also be protected using various measures such as data encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection, etc. Resilience and redundancy: in the event of hardware failure, site failure, or power failure, the architecture must be able to switch over without interruption for the user.

Compliance mechanisms

To protect corporate data, hyperscale data centers must comply with local compliance rules. Certain data must be hosted locally in order to comply with applicable laws. Hyperscalers must therefore be able to offer dedicated geographic areas or sovereignty solutions. In France, for example, certain standards must be met. This is particularly the case with ISO 27000 standard which specify the compliance rules that suppliers must follow to ensure the security of user data. The HDS (Health Data Hosting) standard is essential for protecting the personal health data of French citizens.
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Hyperscale or local data centers: how do they complement each other?

Main use cases

Hyperscalers provide solutions for companies with significant needs. Whether hosting a streaming platform, an online game, or a highly developed or internationally distributed e-commerce site, hyperscalers can be the answer. The requirements in terms of computing, storage, networks, etc. are very significant. This is also the case for processing large amounts of data (big data, AI, etc.). Similarly, companies with users on several continents can benefit from the performance and redundancy guaranteed by hyperscalers.
As for local data centers, they are more suitable in several scenarios. The presence of local servers ensures greater security for sensitive data, as well as extremely low latency. Customization is also possible with a local provider, who is easier to contact when needed.

Proximity and customization: associated challenges

Local data centers offer better performance in limited geographical areas thanks to reduced latency. Their architecture is also adapted to local uses and regulatory and sovereignty requirements. Colocation data centers also offer more personalized customer service and much greater scalability, which better meets the needs of local businesses.
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Hyperscaler or proximity: UltraEdge's positioning

At UltraEdge, we have chosen to set up our data centers in France (more than 250 data centers). This allows us to offer you local services that comply with local laws for better security of your data and that of your customers. When a medium-sized industrial company requests a private interconnection between its three factories with guaranteed latency of less than 5 ms, we don't offer a standard package. We build a solution that exactly matches its production constraints. Does your business application require additional resources? Provisioning in 48 hours. Need a specific SLA with a technical contact who knows your infrastructure? It's included. This rapid and concrete adaptation to your processes sets us apart from the standardized offerings of the cloud giants.