The DCF Show: Bill Kleyman on The State of the Data Center in 2021

We’re jazzed this week to have Bill Kleyman, a long-time friend of our team and publications, as the guest on the Data Center Frontier Show. Bill is Executive VP of Digital Solutions at Switch, as well as author of the AFCOM State of the Data Center research report and head of millennial outreach for Infrastructure Masons. He has also been an editorial contributor for both Data Center Knowledge and DCF, and is a technology evangelist with nearly boundless enthusiasm for his work.

In this podcast, Bill and I dig into some of the prevailing trends in digital infrastructure (digital transformation, cloud repatriation, FinOps and, yes, ROBOTS!)  as well as the big challenges facing the data center industry (staffing, sustainability and inclusion). It’s a fun, wide-ranging conversation. I had a blast, and I hope you will too.

DCF Show 19: Bill Kleyman Looks at the State of the Data Center

Listen to today’s show:

Here’s a timeline of topics Bill and I discuss on the podcast:

• 3:30 – The latest trends in how enterprise customers are using cloud, service providers and on-premises data centers.
• 7:30 – Cloud Repatriation: Is this a thing? How important is this trend? Bill digs into the details.
• 11:15 – FinOps is the hot new infrastructure specialty. Bill and Rich discuss the power of FinancialOps.
• 15:00 – The data center staffing challenge: Initiatives to introduce young workers to data center careers.
• 26:00 – How robots and autonomous systems may help maintain data centers.
• 35:00 –  Why the growing focus on ESG is good for data centers and good for the planet.

Here are some resources that Rich and Bill discussed on the podcast:

• AFCOM State of the Data Center Report (AFCOM members)
• Infrastructure Masons: Bill discusses several iMasons’ initiatives, including its work on diversity and inclusion, and workforce development.
• Oracle Unleashes Robot Dogs in Chicago: Bill discusses this facility as an example of how robotics can be used in IT infrastructure.
• Sustainable Finance: The Next Frontier in Data Centers’ Climate Response: This DCF story has details of how ESG strategies are shaping billions of dollars of capital flows .

Be sure to check our our free Annual Forecast, outlining the DCF take on the most important trends to watch this year:

•  The Eight Trends That Will Shape the Data Center Industry in 2021

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