The growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) will be a boon for the data center segment. Dell’Oro forecasts AI infrastructure spending will propel data center capex to grow 15 percent to $500 billion by 2027. One of the benefits of AI in the data center is driving efficiencies by automating operational processes in traditional enterprise data centers like server upgrades, scheduling, monitoring, maintenance, patching, updating, reporting, and application delivery capacity planning. Gartner estimates that by 2025, half of cloud data centers will deploy advanced robots with AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities, resulting in 30% higher operating efficiency. 

This discussion will address AI’s following opportunities and benefits in the data center and their effects on providers by addressing the following issues:

• How cloud service providers and enterprises can optimize their infrastructure for AI
• Cloud service provider and enterprise spending trends on AI infrastructure The role of Tier 2/3 Cloud Service Providers
• Near-term cloud and enterprise capex growth challenges
• How AI and AI-powered data center operations use AI technologies and algorithms to automate and enhance management
• How AI enables power outage predictions, lowers maintenance costs

The push to the edge is going to continue as developing technology and consumer needs continue to trend toward the need for low-latency data transfer and less reliance on distant data centers. The dominance of video streaming as a traffic category, the move to cloud gaming, and the growing use of software and connectivity in our vehicles and appliances all will require closer proximity to data centers. In these areas and many others, the result will be opportunities for old and new players to fill these needs. This discussion will outline what some of those new opportunities are and who stands to benefit from edge data center proliferation.

Specific topics include:

• IoT developments in the consumer and industrial spaces
• Consumer wants and needs including reliability and security
• New innovations introduced to meet these needs
• The future of connected cars and smart cities
• Timing – When these transitions will happen and how to be prepared

As 5G rolls out, the data and connectivity demands are projected to increase greatly. Data centers are going to play a major role in these developments, so it’s important to understand what that means for them. The need to build more, smaller, and more isolated data centers in rural areas or on the edge of the network will be a factor, as well as upgrading new and existing data centers to handle the substantial increase in data storage and transfer. The panel will discuss what 5G and subsequent 6G network transformations mean for the data center industry, as well as the huge opportunities available in the coming years.

Specific topics include:

• Upgrades
• Storage
• Power and cooling
• Workflows
• Security
• Data transfer
• Edge data centers
• Colocation and other considerations

Video streaming continues to dominate network traffic, and the relationship between CDNs, ISPs, and data centers will continue to be crucial. Fast, smooth, and uninterrupted data transfer is paramount with heightened consumer and business expectations, hi-definition video, and competition among content platforms. This discussion will tackle exactly how data centers are going to fit into a future full of streaming in a post-pandemic age of high demand, and the challenges and opportunities in store in the next five to ten years.

Specific topics include:

• Power and cooling
• Bandwidth demands
• Downtime mitigation
• VR and other emerging technology
• Real estate

Data center cybersecurity threats and challenges continue to evolve with advancements in technology. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes regular risk assessments, employee training, robust access controls, threat intelligence integration, and collaboration with cybersecurity experts and organizations. Keep in mind that the cybersecurity landscape is dynamic, and new threats may have emerged since my last update. Regular monitoring of cybersecurity trends and best practices is crucial for data center security. 

Here are some critical issues our experts will discuss regarding data center cybersecurity threats and challenges:

1. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs are sophisticated, long-term attacks targeting organizations to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. Data centers are prime targets for APTs due to the valuable data they store.
2. Ransomware Attacks: Ransomware poses a significant threat to data centers. Attackers encrypt data and demand a ransom for its release. Data centers, holding critical information, are lucrative targets.
3. Insider Threats: Malicious or unintentional actions by insiders can compromise data center security. Employees, contractors, or vendors with access to data center systems can intentionally or inadvertently cause harm.
4. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Data centers rely on a complex supply chain for hardware, software, and services. Cyber attackers may target the supply chain to compromise components before they even reach the data center.
5. Cloud Security Concerns: As organizations increasingly adopt cloud services, securing data in transit to and from the cloud, as well as ensuring the security of data stored in the cloud, becomes crucial. Misconfigurations and inadequate security measures in cloud environments can lead to breaches.

Ensuring the physical security of a data center is a critical aspect of overall cybersecurity. By regularly reviewing and updating this checklist, Security Directors can help maintain a strong and effective physical security posture for their data centers. Keep in mind that the specific requirements may vary based on the size and nature of the data center, as well as regional regulations and industry standards.

Here’s a checklist that a Security Director can use to assess and enhance data center physical security:

• Secure Location – Ensuring data center facilities are protected from high-risk natural and man-made disaster areas is critical to maintaining information security and reliability.
• Robust Infrastructure & Protection System – Aside from the location, data centers should also enhance the reliability of their infrastructure and protection system to avoid damage caused by internal natural hazards like fire.
• Multi-layered Access Control – The optimal and strategic way to ensure data center security is to manage it by layers. Multiple layers provide a structured physical protection model, thus making it easy to analyze faults and take appropriate effective protection measures for each layer.
• Video Surveillance – Video surveillance is an extremely valuable and cost-effective tool to reduce security threats. With security surveillance, staff in the monitoring room can detect intrusions or accidents in time and respond appropriately.
• Security Control Tests – The above measures are often taken at the outset. As people become familiar with the whole protection system, various strategies or technologies that can evade or undermine these preparations arise insidiously. Therefore, regular testing of physical security controls is essential for the long-term protection of data centers.