In this episode, we dive into the world of data centers, and their energy consumption, with Govi Ramasamy, Executive Director & Power Generation for Data Centers at Cummins Inc. Govi is a distinguished authority in the realm of data center sustainability and energy efficiency, bringing over two decades of expertise to the table.

With degrees in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Northwestern University, Govi's career has been dedicated to unraveling the complex challenges posed by data center energy use. He has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to reduce environmental impacts while enhancing operational efficiency.

Govi sheds light on the evolving landscape of data center technology. From advancements in cooling and power management to the latest trends in renewable energy integration, he discusses the dynamic strategies being employed to make data centers more sustainable.

They then talk about the critical importance of optimizing data center energy consumption, particularly in the digital age. His extensive knowledge and forward-thinking ideas make this episode essential for those intrigued by the energy dynamics of data centers and their profound implications for our environment and technology-driven world.

Govi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goviramasamy/ 

In this episode, Data Center and Technology Expert Bill Kleyman joins the show.

After 15 years in the technology space, Bill has the chance to see quite the endless advancements. Today, he works with leaders in digital infrastructure to help build a more sustainable and inclusive future and support an ever-connected digital society. He is also a contributing editor to leading industry publications, including Data Center Frontier, Data Center Knowledge, ITPro Today, and InformationWeek.

Today they discuss the evolution of generative AI, but before they get there, Bill tells the fascinating story of his journey to America, fleeing a dangerous radioactive Kiev after the Chernobyl fallout in the late 1980s. They then discuss the incredible advancements we’re seeing in generative AI, and how that can help in a myriad of ways across data centers, technology, health, and everything in between.
To connect with Bill, visit his website (https://billkleyman.com/) and connect with him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/billkleyman/).

On this episode of Not Your Father’s Datacenter, Raymond Hawkins is joined by Jerry Burum, Steve Flaig, Jimmy Fordham, and special guest Haley Hawkins for an in-depth discussion on the upcoming college football season.

Discussion points include conference realignment, predictions for the upcoming college football season, who will win each major conference, and Heisman picks. Listen in as they forecast the 2023-24 college football season.

Today, David Liggitt joins the show to talk about data center expansion.

David Liggitt is the Founder of and CEO at datacenterHawk, helping data center professionals make the best decisions possible. With over 15 years in commercial real estate and extensive experience navigating the data center industry, David understands the communication between data center providers, users, vendors, investors, and consultants.

Today they discuss expansion into major markets across the US, as well as into international areas around the globe, while accommodating the need for power to run these processes. They touch on the introduction of AI into the marketplace and the future of data centers across the world.

Connect with David here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidliggitt/

On today’s episode, Raymond sits down with Erin Torbiak, General Manager at Addicting Games.

Hailing from Alberta, Canada, Erin has had a long career as a developer and is now the general manager of the ever-popular Addicting Games website. The site is a directory of sorts full of quick, engaging games to pass the time, while Erin is also a Full-Stack Developer at TeachMe - a gamifying system to produce educational content for students.

Raymond and Erin discuss the road the industry has taken and pay tribute to some of the great games that helped shape the industry where it is today, like Tetris. They look at the future of these gaming capabilities and where education sits in that pile.

To learn more about Erin, head to her LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-torbiak-56415869/ 

In this episode of Not Your Father’s Data Center, Raymond sits down with Dr Arnold Glass, Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University to discuss the impacts of technology in the classroom.

With a PhD in Psychology from Stanford University, Dr Glass has been working in the cognitive neuroscience of learning field, with a focus on the science of instruction. Recently, his focus has been on the effects technology has on the learning process and ability of college students.

In a fascinating discussion, Raymond and Dr Glass explore the impacts technology has on students, comparing his findings from the classroom 15 years ago to now, and how detrimental multitasking has become in college lectures.

You can connect with Dr Arnold Glass on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnold-glass-6134825/

Or connect via his Professor page on the Rutger’s University website: https://psych.rutgers.edu/faculty-profiles-a-contacts/98-arnold-glass

The increasing power consumption of data centers and the subsequent challenges of powering and cooling them have emerged as significant concerns for industry professionals. The quest for sustainability in the field is increasingly urgent, given that data centers are estimated to consume about 50 times more power than traditional offices, and the reliance on fossil fuels and hydrocarbons is unsustainable in the long term.

On this episode of Not Your Father’s Data Center, host Raymond Hawkins welcomes Steven Hill, an independent datacenter analyst and writer, for an insightful discussion on this pressing issue. They delved into Hill's unique journey, from a professional photographer photographing ore carriers, cranes, and Packers games, to a leading voice in the datacenter industry. They also explored hydrogen as a potential solution to these challenges, despite its high reactivity and flammability and its low energy volume.

Their discussion further unfolded into…

• Hill's transition from professional photography to datacenter analysis
• The burgeoning focus on data center sustainability
• The role of hydrogen as a potential fuel source in the datacenter industry
• The challenges posed by increasing demand for computing power and growing data center density
• Different types of hydrogen and their potential uses in the industry
• The increasing adoption of multicore processors and virtualization in data centers
• The criticism faced by the data center industry for high power consumption and the increasing demand for sustainable electricity

Steven Hill is an independent datacenter analyst and writer. He has charted an unconventional career path, transitioning from professional photography to the datacenter industry, where he now applies his analytical skills to examine and write about the pressing issues facing the industry.

The 7×24 Exchange International is known for its conferences and helping companies and organizations from several industries, such as manufacturing and technology, collaborate and share information to improve. It’s a premier group which data center professionals can benefit from quite a bit of information. 

What are the advantages of the 7x24 Conference, and what does planning it entail? 

For an episode of Not Your Father’s Data Center podcast, host Raymond Hawkins interviewed Bob Cassiliano, Chairman and CEO of the 7×24 Exchange International — a nonprofit education forum aimed at helping companies in various sectors overcome challenges. The two talked about the creation of 7x24, its growth over the years, and changes and improvements made to its annual conferences.  

Hawkins and Cassiliano also went on to discuss … 

1. The earlier years of 7x24 and his background with the company 
2. The mission and goals the conferences aim to achieve 
3. What goes into strategizing and planning these conferences for success 

“We look towards four aspects that we think deliver the differentiation for us. The number one is the content; we always try to put together a program that is of high quality with top notch presenters. The venue where we take them, we go to four- and five-star resorts, and we do that because over the years through our evaluations it became very obvious where the attendees like to be - we also look at how the attendees are treated right …,” said Cassiliano. 

He added the welcoming aspect of the event is a further display of the type of hospitality they aim to offer and provide at the 7x24 conference. “The thing we are most proud of, and we really believe really differentiates us from everybody, is how guest-friendly we are. So, if you attend the conference and you bring a guest, that guest is allowed to attend our welcome reception on Sunday night, the conference keynote on Monday morning, any nighttime events that we have, as well as the Wednesday morning breakfast,” said Cassiliano. 

Bob Cassiliano is the Chairman and CEO of the 7×24 Exchange International. He’s been with 7x24 since 1990, which was formerly called the Uninterruptible Uptime Users Group when he joined. He became CEO in 2011 and has held the role since. Cassiliano is a graduate of New York City College of Technology where he earned a degree in electrical technology.  

Burnout is a familiar concept in the tech field, with 40 percent of workers saying they want to quit due to stress, fatigue, and poor work-life balance. This can be especially true for startup companies, which face challenges and uncertainties that can place added stress on employees. But one company, Yerbo, is seeking to change that.  

On today’s episode of Not Your Father’s Data Center by Compass Datacenters, podcast host Raymond Hawkins, speaks with Francisco Vieira Mendes, Co-Founder and Head of Growth at Yerbo, about the origins of his company and what services they offer to tackle employee burnout in the tech world. 

Mendes explained the value Yerbo’s assessments can bring to the table to change an organization when leaders share their own results with the team. “It’s really important that those of you that are listening that are leaders of an organization or leaders within a team—even if it’s just a two-person team—it’s important that you show by example…If you show that we’re open to discuss those items, if you bring your results…that’s really important.” 

Mended went on to add “Because if you feel psychologically safe to be able to share that, that’s going to be very loud for your team, because your team is going to realize, ‘All right, I can share this because if you share this with me, maybe I can share this with him or her.’” 

Francisco Vieira Mendes is a marketing professional who has a passion for helping Latin American startups grow. He is Co-Founder and Head of Growth at Yerbo and has served in past roles such as a Class Lead for KURIOS, VP of Marketing at treble.ai, and Director of Product-Led Growth at CleverTap. Mendes earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto and a Master’s degree in Attendance and Computer Science from Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto. 

The phrase “energy crisis” has been tossed around frequently the past few years, and not without reason: as demand for fossil fuels skyrockets, climate change speeds up too. So while the U.S. puts legislation into place to help mitigate the climate crisis, there’s another problem in the process - our energy grid might not be able to keep up with these environmentally friendly power alternatives. What happens now? 

On the latest episode of Not Your Father’s Data Center Podcast, CRO and host Raymond Hawkins chats with the Vice President of Global Data Center Sales with Bloom Energy, Jeff Barber, about the energy crisis, ESG, and Bloom Energy.  

The two discuss: 

1. Why reducing your carbon footprint now adds time-value 

1. How Bloom Energy offers an alternative that lasts into the future 

1. What Bloom Energy is, how it generates power, and what their power-purchase agreement looks like 

“So, Bloom energy is solid-oxide fuel cells that are on-site, at your facility, in a micro-grid form. So this is power-generation at your facility, without the centralized grid, with the centralized grid…Bloom is intended to create energy for the facility, to be the primary energy to that facility, 24/7 365,” explained Barber, noting that these are not batteries. 

A California native, Barber has collected over 25 years of experience in the energy, sales, and data center industries. Though he first started working on network troubleshooting through the G-Tech Corporation as a Network Support and DEC VAX System Administrator, Barber has since held leadership positions at a number of globally recognized brands, including Hewlett-Packard, the EMC Corporation, and Oracle.  Prior to joining Bloom, Barber was a Partner & EVP Sales and Business Development leader for Prime Data Centers. He is a graduate of California State University at Sacramento, with a BS in Business Administration.