The Thought Cloud

Industry veteran Oscar Gross delves into the industry's sustainability challenges, advocating for an all-encompassing approach and emphasizing efficiency in building design and materials.

Craig McKesson, executive vice president of global sales and marketing for T5 Data Centers, reflects on his 12-year journey with the company, starting as the seventh employee when it was a startup and growing it into a globally focused data center provider. He discusses the industry's transformative moments — from enterprise data center requirements to high-performance computing — emphasizing the exponential growth in scale and the need for adaptation.

Join Bob Cassiliano — founder and CEO of Business Information Services and chairman and CEO of 7x24 Exchange Intl. — and Karen Petersburg — vice president of data center development and construction at American Real Estate Partners/PowerHouse Data Centers and president of the 7x24 Exchange Greater Washington DC Chapter — in this episode of The Thought Cloud podcast to learn more about International Data Center Day (IDCD) 2024.

Meet Ilissa Miller, CEO of iMiller Public Relations, as Mission Critical explores her journey in the telecommunications industry from the late '90s through today. Miller discusses the 1996 Telecommunications Act, shares anecdotes from her early career experiences witnessing pivotal industry meetings, and reflects on the importance of mentorship and conscious leadership.The interview takes an intriguing turn as she recounts her role in coining a surprising and familiar industry term during a rebranding campaign for EdgeConneX and the evolution of this concept in the data center space. The discussion addresses industry challenges and opportunities, particularly in the context of the growing demand for AI workloads and the need for collaboration with developers to address power and energy consumption. Miller challenges misconceptions about data centers, emphasizing their role as a means to an end in the broader digital infrastructure landscape.

In this interview, Carrie Goetz, an accomplished professional with over 40 years in the technology industry and author of "Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers," shares her journey and passion for educating others in the field. She emphasizes the dynamic nature of the industry and the challenges faced by individuals entering it. With a focus on apprenticeships, she discusses the importance of formalized programs and how they contribute to workforce development, as well as their transformative power for both employees and employers, highlighting the potential tax incentives and government rebates.

This year’s Top Tier Products award winners in the IT Equipment category was Quantum by Compass Quantum. Learn more about it from Tony Grayson, general manager, on this episode of The Thought Cloud.

One of this year’s Top Tier Products award winners in the Software category was Singlewire Software’s Visitor Aware. Learn more about it from Joanna Haugland, co-founder of Visitor Aware, on this episode of The Thought Cloud.

This year’s Top Tier Products award winner in the Cables/Cable Management Systems category is Cablofil Data Center Solutions from Legrand. Learn more about it from Bob Crain, director of marketing/product development for Cablofil at Legrand, on this episode of The Thought Cloud.

One of this year’s Top Tier Products award winners in the Software category was the Vertiv XR app. Learn more about it from Sergiu Tiulimeanu, digital experience architect, and Lorenzo Valle, IT director, on this episode of The Thought Cloud.

This year’s Top Tier Products award winner in the Safety category is the SHIELD SOLO from Nextivity. Learn more about it from Stephen Kowal, CCO of Nextivity, on this episode of The Thought Cloud.