The Top 10 Data Center Stories for April 2022

We write lots of stories about hot trends here at Data Center Frontier. But in recent weeks we’ve focused on telling the story of the data center industry through the companies that are building our digital infrastructure, catching up with leadership teams to update our readers on the growth and evolving strategies of key players.

That’s reflected in our most popular stories last month, as the DCF top 10 includes updates on eight leading developers and service providers. If you’re seeking to understand the competitive landscape of the data center and cloud sector, it’s a pretty good reading list. And watch for more in coming weeks.

Here are the 10 most popular stories on Data Center Frontier in April 2022, in order of article views:

• After Record Growth in 2021, Data Centers Are Building Bigger for 2022 After a record year for leasing in 2021, data center developers are building even bigger in 2022, with nearly half of the projects pre-leased before they are even completed. New data from CBRE, JLL and Synergy Research offer metrics for hyperscale growth and the boom to come.
• Is the Midwest a New Silicon Valley? Here’s Why You Should Take Advantage of the Trend: Site selection is a strategic process that requires the right blend of power, cost savings, environmental conditions, and scalability. Blake Proffitt of DartPoints explores the reasons that enterprises and hyperscalers are building new data centers in the American Midwest.
• QTS Builds for a Future Filled With Faster, Larger Hyperscale Projects:: QTS Data Centers has emerged as a leading player in hyperscale infrastructure. The QTS journey has been powered by two prevailing trends: the growth of hyperscale computing and the consolidation in the data center sector.
• Digital Realty Preps New Project Near Key Internet Intersection: Digital Realty is ready to begin building a data center at a prime location in Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia. The company plans to create its 40-megawatt Digital Filigree development on a site adjacent to a key Internet intersection.
• CyrusOne’s Next Chapter: Building Strategic Scale for Cloud Runways: CyrusOne CEO Dave Ferdman says the company will look to accelerate growth under its new owners, investment firms KKR and GIP. Going private will allow CyrusOne to invest for the long term, and seek “strategic scale” in large markets to provide runway for customer growth.
• DigitalBridge Launches VC Unit, Outlines Full Stack Investment Strategy: DigitalBridge has launched a venture capital arm that invests in tech startups as part of its evolution into a “full stack” platform that operates data centers, while also connecting investors with a range of opportunities to place capital in digital infrastructure.
• Compass Quantum Unveils Edge-Focused ‘White Space as a Service’: Compass Quantum is a new service from Compass Datacenters that aims to make it simple to provision distributed data centers as a turnkey “white space as a service” offering. Industry veteran Tony Grayson has joined Compass to lead the Quantum team.
• Iron Mountain Raises its Game with Hyperscale Wins, ITRenew Acquisition: Iron Mountain is becoming a larger force in the data center business, building beyond its base of enterprise customers with recent hyperscale wins. The recent acquisition of ITRenew may boost Iron Mountain’s sustainability strategy.
• Sabey Data Centers Enters Austin Market With 72 Megawatt Campus: Sabey Data Centers will build a new data center in Round Rock, Texas, providing the developer with a presence in the central United States. The project will bring 72 MWs of capacity into the growing Austin market.
• Evoque Expands Into Hyperscale With Build-to-Suit Green Data Centers: Evoque Data Center Solutions says it is expanding into the market for hyperscale computing, offering built-to-suit data centers backed by green energy, which may include on-site renewable power.

Education is part of our mission at Data Center Frontier. In our Voices of the Industry feature, we share the experience of data center executives on the front lines of innovation. Here’s a look at the most popular Voices columns for DCF readers last month:

• Is the Midwest a New Silicon Valley? Here’s Why You Should Take Advantage of the Trend: Site selection is a strategic process that requires the right blend of power, cost savings, environmental conditions, and scalability. Blake Proffitt of DartPoints explores the reasons that enterprises and hyperscalers are building new data centers in the American Midwest.
• Data Center Sustainability: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (EdgeConneX): When we think of sustainability in the context of data centers, the challenge can be intimidating because it encompasses so many factors that demand our attention. Phillip Marangella, CMO of EdgeConneX, celebrates the progress and commitments the data center industry has made around sustainability.
• Evaluating Data Center Cybersecurity Before it’s too Late (Schneider Electric): With the rise of edge data centers and the increase in cloud-based computing expanding the potential attack surface, companies are now facing more challenges with things like misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and gaps within their end-to-end cybersecurity. Andrew Nix of Schneider Electric explores how a well-kept cybersecurity plan can keep cybercriminals at bay.

Be sure to check out all of our Voices columns, including insights from Intel Data Center Management Solutions, Vertiv and Enchanted Rock.

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