BlackRock’s $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers is set to reshape the landscape of data center availability and pricing for enterprise CIOs. With private equity controlling 80-90% of merger and acquisition activities in the data center sector, the power dynamics are changing. CIOs face strategic disadvantages as large players secure data capacity well in advance, raising concerns about future pricing and availability. Analysts warn that as demand for AI infrastructure skyrockets, companies need to rethink their strategies, with a need for longer planning cycles and diversified approaches to securing capacity.
The data center market is undergoing significant transformation, with a reported increase in global costs and a sharp reduction in available space. The North American data center vacancy rate has plummeted to 1.6%, with major cloud and AI providers pre-leasing a large share of upcoming capacity. This shift is compelling CIOs to collaborate with various vendors, explore secondary markets, and reconsider their existing workloads. Such challenges necessitate a re-evaluation of infrastructure investment strategies, as competition for data center resources becomes increasingly fierce. Enterprises that adapt their strategies will be better positioned to thrive in a rapidly evolving environment.
👉 Pročitaj original: CIO Magazine
