If you were to chart technological advancement over time, the arrow would traditionally point up and to the right—a steady climb of progress. But in the last 20+ years, and especially in the past few, that arrow has steepened dramatically. We’re no longer on a gentle incline—we’re scaling a near-vertical slope of innovation. And at the heart of this climb is the data center, quietly powering the digital world.
That’s why I’m excited to be attending the Data Center Expo at TechEx North America next week (June 4–5). It’s a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders and explore the challenges and trends shaping one of the most mission-critical environments in technology today.
The Data Center: The Backbone of Everyday Digital Life
From browsing your iCloud photo library to enabling advanced AI tools like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) or powering high-performance computing (HPC) for scientific research—data centers are the invisible infrastructure behind it all. Whether we realize it or not, nearly every digital interaction we have relies on the capabilities of these facilities.
Meeting the Demands of AI and Compute Power
As AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, the demand for compute power is growing exponentially. This surge brings with it significant challenges—particularly around power consumption and cooling. These aren’t just technical issues; they’re critical to the sustainability and scalability of future innovation.
At TechEx, I’m looking forward to discussions on how the industry is addressing these concerns. How can we meet the growing demand for compute while also managing environmental impact? What new technologies are emerging to help us do both?
Balancing Innovation with Sustainability & Serviceability
One of the most pressing challenges facing the industry today is balancing performance with sustainability. As demand for data centers and compute-intensive technologies continues to surge, many hyperscale providers and equipment manufacturers are being forced to prioritize immediate performance needs—sometimes at the expense of long-term environmental goals. Finding ways to build sustainable solutions without compromising power or speed is quickly becoming a key differentiator in the market.
But sustainability isn’t just about the hardware—it’s also about how that hardware is supported over time. As new technologies are deployed, the complexity of servicing and maintaining them grows. In mission-critical environments like data centers, OEMs will need to evolve their service models to keep pace. That means offering scalable, high-performance support solutions that ensure uptime, efficiency, and a positive end-user experience.
I’m especially interested in how industry leaders are approaching this dual challenge—optimizing power usage, improving thermal efficiency, and developing service strategies that support both operational excellence and long-term sustainability.
Looking Ahead
The future of technology is being built inside the data center. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible—from AI to quantum computing to global connectivity—the importance of these facilities will only grow.
I look forward to sharing insights from Data Center Expo at TechEx North America and exploring how Source Support can continue to play a role in supporting the infrastructure that powers our digital world.
Stay tuned!
By Sam Neuman, Product Marketing Specialist, Source Support Services
For more information on Source’s outsourced service model, and how Source works with OEMs to augment their field service functions, please visit sourcesupport.com.