Talking Data Centers With Compass Datacenters CEO Chris Crosby

March 11, 2021
On the Data Center Frontier Show, we sit down with Chris Crosby, the CEO of Compass Datacenters, for a wide-ranging conversation about the latest trends in the data center sector.

This week we sit down with Chris Crosby, the CEO of Compass Datacenters, for a wide-ranging conversation about the latest trends in the data center sector. Chris is an industry veteran who was in on the ground floor of the data center boom in working with Nortel, CoreSite, Digital Realty and now Compass. Our discussions explores demand trends from edge to cloud, what clients look for in a single-tenant data center, how and where new data centers are being built, and why a data center developer has a research and development unit.

DCF Show 15: Talking Data Centers With Chris Crosby

Listen to today’s show:

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

  • 4:00 – Demand for edge computing, and where we are on the growth curve.
  • 6:39 – How Compass approaches client-centric data center design and construction
  • 9:55 – Why Compass has a Research & Development division (most developers don’t), and why it matters.
  • 20:35 – The primacy of the network
  • 22:45 – Data center site selection, and how Compass has been early in identifying cloud computing hubs
  • 25:20 – “Availability Zone Thinking” and how resiliency designs guide where data centers are built
  • 26:30 – Investors love the data center industry. Chris discusses the benefits of patient capital.

Here are some stories we’ve done at Data Center Frontier on the stories that tie into our discussion:

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

Did you like this episode? Be sure to subscribe to the Data Center Frontier show so you get future episodes on your app. We are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find quality podcasts. You can also subscribe using our RSS feed, and tell your friends and colleagues about our podcast!

We’ve also just launched the Data Center Frontier Channel on YouTube to showcase our videos, where we explain the infrastructure that powers the digital world. If you like data centers or work in the industry, you’ll want to subscribe!

About the Author

Rich Miller

I write about the places where the Internet lives, telling the story of data centers and the people who build them. I founded Data Center Knowledge, the data center industry's leading news site. Now I'm exploring the future of cloud computing at Data Center Frontier.

Sponsored Recommendations

From modular cooling systems to enterprise-wide energy optimization, this quick-reference line card gives you a snapshot of Trane’s industry-leading technologies built for data...
Discover how Trane’s CDU delivers precise, reliable liquid cooling for mission-critical environments. Designed for scalability and peak performance, it’s a smart solution for ...
In this executive brief, we discuss the growing need for liquid cooling in data centers due to the increasing power demands of AI and high-performance computing. Discover how ...
AI hype has put data centers in the spotlight, sparking concerns over energy use—but they’re also key to a greener future. With renewable power and cutting-edge cooling, data ...

Image courtesy of AFL
Source: Image courtesy of AFL
Alan Keizer, Senior Technical Advisor for AFL, explains how MFD enables informed decisions in fiber selection, installation practices, and maintenance procedures.

White Papers

Dcf 3
May 22, 2023
During an era of unprecedented digital infrastructure growth, learn how leaders embrace design modernization to impact time-to-market and sustainability.