The Data Center Frontier Show

De: Endeavor Business Media
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  • Data Center Frontier’s editors are your guide to how next-generation technologies are changing our world, and the critical role the data center industry plays in creating our extraordinary future.
    Copyright Data Center Frontier LLC © 2019
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Episodios
  • Nomads at the Frontier: Nabeel Mahmood on the Future of Data Centers and Disruptive Sustainability

    Nomads at the Frontier: Nabeel Mahmood on the Future of Data Centers and Disruptive Sustainability
    May 1 2025
    WASHINGTON, D.C.— At this year’s Data Center World 2025, held earlier this month at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the halls were buzzing with what could only be described as industry sensory overload. As hyperscalers, hardware vendors, and infrastructure specialists converged on D.C., the sheer density of innovation underscored a central truth: the data center sector is in the midst of rapid, almost disorienting, expansion. That made it the perfect setting for the latest episode in our ongoing podcast miniseries with Nomad Futurist, aptly titled Nomads at the Frontier. This time, I sat down in person with Nabeel Mahmood, co-founder and board director of the Nomad Futurist Foundation—a rare face-to-face meeting after years of remote collaboration. “Lovely seeing you in person,” Mahmood said. “It’s brilliant to get to spend some quality time at an event that’s really started to hit its stride—especially in terms of content.” Mahmood noted a welcome evolution in conference programming: a shift away from vendor-heavy pitches and toward deeper, mission-driven dialogue about the sector’s true challenges and future trajectory. “Events like these were getting overloaded by vendor speak,” he said. “We need to talk about core challenges, advancements, and what we’re doing to improve and move forward.” A standout example of this renewed focus was a panel on disruptive sustainability, in which Mahmood joined representatives from Microsoft, AWS, and a former longtime lieutenant of Elon Musk’s sustainability operations. “It’s not just about e-cycling or carbon,” Mahmood emphasized. “We have to build muscle memory. We’ve got to do things for the right reasons—and start early.” That starting point, he argued, is education—but not in the traditional sense. Instead, Mahmood called for a multi-layered approach that spans K–12, higher education, and workforce reskilling. “We’ve come out from behind the Wizard of Oz curtain,” he said. “Now we’re in the boardroom. We need to teach people not just how technology works, but why we use it—and how to design platforms with real intention.” Mahmood’s remarks highlighted a growing consensus among forward-thinking leaders: data is no longer a support function. It is foundational. “There is no business, no government, no economy that can operate today—or in the future—without data,” he said. “So let’s measure what we do. That’s the KPI. That’s the minimum threshold.” Drawing a memorable parallel, Mahmood compared this kind of education to swimming lessons. “Sure, you might not swim for 20 years,” he said. “But if you learned as a kid, you’ll still be able to make it back to shore.” Inside-Out Sustainability and Building the Data Center Workforce of Tomorrow As our conversation continued, we circled back to Mahmood’s earlier analogy of swimming as a foundational skill—like technology fluency, it stays with you for life. I joked that I could relate, recalling long-forgotten golf lessons from middle school. “I'm a terrible golfer,” I said. “But I still go out and do it. It’s muscle memory.” “Exactly,” Mahmood replied. “There’s a social element. You’re able to enjoy it. But you still know your handicap—and that’s part of it too. You know your limits.” Limits and possibilities are central to today’s discourse around sustainability, especially as the industry’s most powerful players—the hyperscalers—increasingly self-regulate in the absence of comprehensive mandates. I asked Mahmood whether sustainability had truly become “chapter and verse” for major cloud operators, or if it remained largely aspirational, despite high-profile initiatives. His answer was candid. “Yes and no,” he said. “No one's following a perfect process. There are some who use it for market optics—buying carbon credits and doing carbon accounting to claim carbon neutrality. But there are others genuinely trying to meet their own internal expectations.” The real challenge, Mahmood noted, lies in the absence of uniform metrics and definitions around terms like “circularity” or “carbon neutrality.” In his view, too much of today’s sustainability push is “still monetarily driven… keeping shareholders happy and share value rising.” He laid out two possible futures. “One is that the government forces us to comply—and that could create friction, because the mandates may come from people who don’t understand what our industry really needs. The other is that we educate from within, define our own standards, and eventually shape compliance bodies from the inside out.” Among the more promising developments Mahmood cited was the work of Rob Lawson-Shanks, whose innovations in automated disassembly and robotic circularity are setting a high bar for operational sustainability. “What Rob is doing is amazing,” Mahmood said. “His interest is to ...
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    28 m
  • From Concept to Reality: The Future of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Data Centers

    From Concept to Reality: The Future of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Data Centers
    Apr 29 2025

    As the data center industry continues to expand, two powerful forces are reshaping the search for next-generation power solutions. First, the rapid expansion of AI, IoT, and digital transformation is significantly increasing global power demand, placing increased pressure on traditional grid systems to meet the energy needs. The International Energy Agency forecasts that electricity consumption by data centers and AI could double by 2026, adding an amount equal to the entire current electricity usage of Japan. The second force is the urgent need for a smaller environmental footprint. As energy consumption rises, the drive for decarbonization becomes more critical, making it harder for data centers to balance environmental sustainability with performance reliability.

    In response to these challenges, data center leaders are looking beyond conventional solutions and exploring innovative alternatives that can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry. This podcast will focus on hydrogen fuel cell technology as a potential fuel source. This emerging technology has the potential to transform how data centers power their operations, providing a sustainable solution that not only helps reduce carbon emissions but also ensures reliable and scalable energy for the future.

    Hydrogen fuel cells present an opportunity for data centers. Unlike traditional fossil fuel-based systems, hydrogen fuel cells generate power through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water and heat as the only byproducts. This makes them a virtually emission-free, environmentally friendly power solution. Moreover, hydrogen fuel cells can reduce data center emissions by up to 99%, providing one of the most effective means of decarbonizing the industry. The environmental benefits are matched by their impressive efficiency, as fuel cells operate with fewer energy losses compared to traditional combustion-based systems.

    In this episode, Ben Rapp, Strategic Product Development Manager at Rehlko, will explore the science behind hydrogen fuel cells, offering an overview of the key components that make them a viable power solution for data centers. He will also highlight the practical advantages of hydrogen fuel cells, particularly their ability to deliver reliable, on-demand power with minimal disruption. This episode also addresses the challenges of adopting hydrogen fuel cells, including infrastructure development, cost, and the need for a robust hydrogen distribution network.

    Additionally, we talked to Ben about Rehlko’s hydrogen fuel cell project and the partnerships involved. As part of this initiative, Rehlko has collaborated with companies like Toyota to develop a 100-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell solution aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of data centers. We’ll go over the progress of this partnership and the practical steps being taken to make hydrogen fuel cells a viable and scalable power solution.

    Finally, Ben will talk about his perspective on the future role of hydrogen fuel cells in data centers worldwide. With the industry facing increasing pressure to meet sustainability targets while ensuring performance reliability, hydrogen fuel cells are poised to play a critical role in the evolution of data center power systems. They offer both environmental and operational benefits that are essential for the industry’s future.

    Whether used as a primary power source, backup system, or for grid stabilization, hydrogen fuel cells are poised to become a key player in the future of data center energy management.
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    22 m
  • Beyond the Wires — Packet Power & the Future of Data Center Monitoring

    Beyond the Wires — Packet Power & the Future of Data Center Monitoring
    Apr 22 2025
    In this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, we explore how Packet Power is transforming data center monitoring. As the demand for energy efficiency and operational transparency grows, organizations need solutions that provide real-time insights without adding complexity. Packet Power’s wireless, scalable, and secure technology offers an easy, streamlined approach to power and environmental monitoring. Monitoring Made Easy® Traditional monitoring solutions can be difficult to install, configure, and scale. Packet Power’s wireless, out-of-band technology removes these hurdles, offering a plug-and-play system that allows organizations to start with a few monitoring nodes and expand as needed. With built-in fleet management, remote diagnostics, and broad compatibility with existing systems, Packet Power helps data centers gain visibility into their power and environmental conditions with minimal effort. Fast, Flexible Deployment Deploying monitoring solutions can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, particularly in large-scale facilities. Many systems require extensive cabling, specialized personnel, and lengthy configuration processes. Packet Power eliminates these roadblocks by offering a vendor-agnostic, rapidly deployable system that works seamlessly with existing infrastructure. Designed and manufactured in the USA, Packet Power products ship in just 2-3 weeks, avoiding the delays often associated with global supply chain issues and ensuring data centers can implement monitoring solutions without unnecessary downtime. Security Built from the Ground Up Security is a critical concern in mission-critical environments. Unlike traditional monitoring solutions that focus primarily on encryption, Packet Power integrates security at every level—from hardware to networking and software. Their read-only architecture ensures that failed hardware won’t disrupt power delivery, while out-of-band monitoring prevents exposure to network vulnerabilities. One-way communication protocols and optional physical data isolation further enhance security, ensuring that critical infrastructure remains protected from cyber threats and misconfigurations. Adapting to Industry Changes The data center landscape is rapidly evolving, with increasing demands for efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. Packet Power’s solutions are designed to keep pace with these changes, offering a non-intrusive way to enhance monitoring capabilities without modifying existing infrastructure. Their technology is easily embedded into power and cooling systems, enabling organizations to implement real-time monitoring across a wide range of devices while maintaining operational agility. Why Wireless Wins Traditional wired monitoring solutions often require extensive installation efforts and ongoing maintenance, while common consumer wireless options—such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee—are not designed for industrial environments. These protocols pose security risks and struggle in settings with high electromagnetic interference. Packet Power’s proprietary wireless system is optimized for reliability in data centers, eliminating IP-based vulnerabilities while supporting secure, large-scale deployments. Cost Savings & Efficiency Monitoring solutions should provide a return on investment, not create additional overhead. Packet Power reduces costs by minimizing IT infrastructure needs, eliminating the expense of network switches, dedicated cabling, and IP address management. Their wireless monitoring approach streamlines deployment, allowing organizations to instantly gain actionable insights into their energy usage and environmental conditions. This improves cost allocation, supports sustainability initiatives, and enhances operational efficiency. Versatile Applications Energy monitoring is crucial across multiple aspects of data center management. Packet Power’s solutions support a wide range of applications, including tracking energy use in busways, HVAC systems, generators, switchgear, tenant submeters, and selective circuits. Organizations use their data for billing, cost allocation, efficiency optimization, and failure detection. By providing real-time insights into power consumption and environmental conditions, Packet Power helps data centers maintain reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness. The Power of EMX Software & 3D Visualization Collecting data is only part of the equation—turning that data into actionable insights is equally important. Packet Power’s EMX Software integrates seamlessly with existing DCIM and BMS platforms, offering real-time alerts, custom reporting, and a brand new 3D Layout Viewer for enhanced visualization. These tools help facility managers and operators make informed decisions, ensuring optimal performance and risk mitigation. Conclusion In an industry where efficiency, security, and flexibility are paramount, Packet Power provides a modern approach to data center ...
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    40 m
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