Ep. 164 The Future of Data Center Facilities Go-to-Market

What happens when 25 of the world’s top data center facilities leaders look into their crystal ball?

Over the next five years, data center facilities will change more than they have in the last two decades.

AI-driven workloads, grid bottlenecks, power and sustainability pressures, and a radically more self-directed buyer’s journey are rewriting what it means to design, operate, and grow digital infrastructure.

Episode 164 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features uncensored predictions about power constraints, AI-driven workloads, sustainability pressures, and how facilities roles will evolve in the next few years.

You’ll hear from:

Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast Episode 164 discussed future trends in data center roles, focusing on flexibility, technical skills, and sustainability.

Mark Acton emphasized the need for adaptability due to AI and high-density workloads.

Patricia Alvina highlighted the importance of active listening in sales.

Aaron Casey noted the rise of self-propelled buyer's journeys.

Oliver Bredgaard and Matt Caldwell stressed the significance of human relationships and complex solution sales.

Giuseppe Caltabiano and Rich Farrell discussed the evolving role of marketing and business development.

Loren Long and Christian Bonilla underscored the growing importance of sustainability and innovative technologies.

The discussion on the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast explored future trends in the data center industry.

Christian Bonilla highlighted the inevitable consolidation of business combinations due to increasing compute power demands.

Benjamin Myers noted the shift towards owner-furnished, contractor-installed (OFCI) solutions for better cost and uptime control.

Matt Caldwell emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships for future success.

Gregory Ratcliff discussed the evolving role of Chief Innovation Officers.

Martin Renkis and Rossy Rosillo stressed the impact of AI on market analysis and strategy development.

Christian Dupalco predicted significant growth in energy storage and the transformative role of AI in product management and strategy.

25 frontline experts -- commissioning engineers, facilities leaders, power and cooling innovators, GTM executives, and founders -- share how they see the future unfolding.

You’ll learn what’s coming for*power and on-site generation, high-density and AI-ready designs, operations 2.0 (AR/VR and automation), sustainability and regulation, and the careers and skills that will be in highest demand.

Whether you’re responsible for facilities, operations, or go-to-market, this is your playbook for staying relevant and creating advantage in the next wave of growth.

Action Items

Continue developing the energy-flexibility platform, expand pilots across industries, and integrate grid/market signal aggregation to unlock load flexibility
Develop a marketing-led buyer journey ownership plan including educational content and narratives to capture self-propelled buyers earlier in the funnel
Implement active listening and consultative-sales training for sales teams to better diagnose customer challenges before proposing solutions
Push innovation and accountability deeper into the organization by defining growth/learning objectives and empowering teams to implement new initiatives
Increase investor-relations and broader external communications to explain technical developments and engage analysts and capital-market stakeholders
Explore augmented-reality/VR operational tools and vendor demos to enable in-field interactive troubleshooting and remote expert support for operations teams
Build first-generation product demonstrations and line up pilot deployments with key partners to validate three-megawatt cable performance and pod integration

Outline

Data Center Sales and Market Trends

In the cold open preview of the episode, Matt Caldwell discusses the shift from direct sales to marketplaces for commodity products, emphasizing the importance of complex, solution-based sales in the data center space.
Joshua Feinberg introduces the podcast episode, highlighting the significant changes expected in data center facilities over the next five years due to AI, sustainability, and buyer's journey evolution.
Joshua Feinberg introduces Mark Acton from Acton Consulting, who discusses the evolving roles in data center sales, emphasizing flexibility and technical skills.
Mark Acton predicts a more differentiated market driven by regulation and sustainability, with a focus on renewable power and energy efficiency.

Role of Sales Professionals in Data Centers

Patricia Alvina from Siemens discusses the future of sales roles, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer challenges and active listening.
Joshua Feinberg and Patricia Alvina discuss the impact of self-driven buyer's journeys and the need for sales professionals to stay ahead of prospect expectations.
Patricia Alvina highlights the importance of training and tools like LinkedIn for sales professionals to stay informed and prepared.
Joshua Feinberg and Patricia Alvina agree on the necessity of doing homework on prospects and clients before meetings to add value and build rapport.

Business Development and Industry Trends

Oliver Bredgaard from Hovmand discusses the future of business development in the data center industry, emphasizing the importance of human relationships and attending trade shows.
Joshua Feinberg and Oliver Bredgaard discuss the constant need for being part of the local community and ecosystem for success in business development.
Joshua Feinberg introduces a special companion guide for the podcast, highlighting the changes expected in data center facilities and the skills needed for success.
Matt Caldwell discusses the importance of being a trusted advisor and solving complex problems in the data center space.

Marketing and Data Center Trends

Giuseppe Caltabiano from AVK discusses the evolving role of marketing in the data center space, emphasizing the importance of proper narrative and understanding.
Joshua Feinberg and Giuseppe Caltabiano discuss the impact of AI and digital tools on marketing and the need for proper education and understanding.
Steve Carlini from Schneider Electric discusses the increased interest from investor relations and the need to communicate complex technical information in a simple way.
Steve Carlini highlights the importance of understanding the impact of AI and sustainability on data center operations and marketing strategies.

Future of Data Center Operations

Aaron from Tubbesing discusses the importance of investing in people and knowledge to solve complex problems in the data center space.
Joshua Feinberg and Aaron discuss the role of consulting and education in pre-sales and post-sales processes to build trust and provide solutions.
Christian from Bureau Veritas discusses the future of data center commissioning, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and sustainability.
Christian highlights the need for more engineers and the challenges of working in different countries and regions.

Impact of Technology on Data Center Operations

Ted Fletcher from FMS Integration discusses the use of augmented reality and VR in data center operations to improve efficiency and reduce downtime.
Joshua Feinberg and Ted Fletcher discuss the importance of technology in predicting and managing utility grid power shortages and alternative energy sources.
Lyoid Fussell and Jesse Webb from GenSystems discuss the future of on-site power generation and the impact of liquid natural gas turbines on data center operations.
Maria del Pilar Galeano from Legrand South America discusses the shift from product-focused to solution-focused business development, emphasizing the importance of global collaboration and service offerings.

Sustainability and Regulatory Impact

Peter Gross from PMG Consulting discusses the unprecedented growth and changes in the data center industry, emphasizing the importance of power and sustainability.
Joshua Feinberg and Peter Gross discuss the impact of EV demand on grid power and the need for innovative solutions to address power constraints.
Loren Long from Digital Infrastructure Advisors discusses the increasing importance of sustainability discussions and the role of large investors in driving change.
Loren Long highlights the need for a sobering approach to sustainability and the impact of climate change on data center operations and regulatory requirements.

Future of Data Center Sales and Marketing

Rick Grundy from AVTECH discusses the focus on innovation and accountability within the organization, emphasizing the importance of developing a culture of learning and growth.
Tim Heidel from VEIR discusses the startup journey and the focus on building demonstrations and qualifying manufacturing facilities for commercial deliveries.
Daniel Lawrence from OBM discusses the importance of flexibility in energy management and the need for innovative solutions to address power problems in various industries.
Tanja Lewit from Alternate e Source discusses the need for higher education programs focused on data center management to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals.

Future of Data Center Industry and AI Integration

Joshua Feinberg discusses the impact of AI-driven workloads and grid bottlenecks on datacenter facilities, predicting significant changes over the next five years.
Sean McKay highlights the emergence of new technologies like AI compute loads and the need for flexible loads on the grid to meet AI compute demands.
Sean McKay emphasizes the importance of innovative thinking and pre-fabrication in the future of datacenter design and deployment.
Christian Bonilla mentions the increasing reliance on on-site generation and the potential for more integrated projects and business combinations in the datacenter industry.

Owner Operators and Supply Chain Changes

Benjamin Myers from DH Pace discusses the shift towards owner-furnished, contractor-installed (OFCI) models and the growing role of owner operators in the supply chain.
Benjamin Myers notes the impact of on lead times and the need for better inventory management and product alignment by owner operators.
Zachary from Empirix Partners envisions a future where strategic partnerships and collaborations are crucial for success in the data center industry.
Zachary emphasizes the importance of evolving relationships with customers, OEM partners, and service providers to meet future challenges.

Innovation and Strategy in Data Center Leadership

Gregory Ratcliff from Vertiv discusses the evolution of the Chief Innovation Officer role towards planning and strategy execution.
Gregory highlights the importance of innovation projects maturing to the point where they can be owned by engineering and taken to customers.
Martin Renkis from Johnson Controls talks about the future of relationships and the role of agentic AI in improving efficiency and reducing repetitive tasks.
Martin Renkis shares his optimism about the potential benefits of AI in research, proposal writing, and document summarization.

Marketing and AI in Data Center Industry

Rossy Rosillo from Legrand Columbia discusses the impact of AI on market analysis and the development of new marketing strategies.
Rossy Rosillo emphasizes the speed and efficiency of AI in analyzing large datasets and making comparisons between products.
Joshua Feinberg and Martin Renkis discuss the future of long-form content and the potential fragmentation of attention due to short-form content trends.
Rossy Rosillo highlights the importance of data analytics in marketing and the role of AI in capturing and analyzing qualitative data.

Sales and Product Leadership in Energy Storage

Brandon Smith from ZincFive discusses the growing importance of batteries in various markets and the unique value proposition of nickel-zinc battery chemistries.
Brandon Smith predicts that AI tools will simplify day-to-day tasks like report writing and product requirement documentation, allowing leaders to focus on strategy and creativity.
Brandon Smith emphasizes the importance of relationship building and leveraging AI tools to 10x output and performance.
Joshua Feinberg and Brandon Smith discuss the competitive advantage of adopting AI tools and the potential for raising goals and productivity in the data center industry.

Watch the Full Podcast Interviews (That This Episode Was Excerpted From)

Resources

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Ep. 164 The Future of Data Center Facilities Go-to-Market | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast