Ninth Annual State of the Data Center Industry Report Reveals AI is Creating a Seismic Shift on the Way Data Centers are Designed, Built and Operated

AFCOM, the leading membership association for data center professionals, and Data Center World, the leading global conference for data center IT infrastructure, mission-critical facilities management, new power designs and solutions, emerging construction practices, and the innovative tools and technologies needed to become an AI factory, today announce the results of the ninth annual State of the Data Center industry report. The report, which has been a fixture at the annual Data Center World industry conference, continues to capture the relentless pace of change in the data center industry.

The role of data centers has never been more critical. In an age of unrelenting connectivity and surging demand for digital infrastructure, data centers are the backbone of progress, powering everything from generative AI to large language models and beyond. The report reveals that 80% of respondents anticipate significant increases in capacity requirements due to AI workloads, and 64% are actively deploying AI-capable solutions in their facilities.

Additional highlights of the report:

• The number of data centers will increase over the next three years, from a current average of one to an average of six, a sixfold increase in construction for many operators. New to the survey this year, respondents report an estimated mean data center facility size of 32 Megawatt.
• The era of the nuclear data center is here. Thirty-three percent of respondents cite it as a key renewable energy source, a 12% increase from 2024. Solar energy remains the frontrunner at 55%.
• For the ninth consecutive year, ransomware has dominated the list of top security and infrastructure threats. When asked to identify the top five concerns, respondents pointed to: ransomware: 60% (up from 54% in 2024); human threats (internal or external): 57% (a significant rise from 40% in 2024); advanced persistent threats (targeting IT and corporate data): 48%; Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks: 47% (nearly doubling from 25% in 2024); and data exfiltration or loss: 43% (up from 28% in 2024).
• New to the survey is a question on the changes in physical security requirements. A majority of respondents (78%) report at least some changes to physical security requirements for their data centers in the past 12-24 months, most commonly more comprehensive surveillance and monitoring systems (48%), followed by enhanced vendor and contractor vetting processes (38%).
• The data center industry continues to be a dynamic and rewarding career path, with a growing demand for skilled professionals. The most sought-after roles include: Multi-Skilled Data Center Operators (58%); Data Center Engineers (50%) up from 45% from 2024 signal increasing demand for technical expertise; and Security Specialists (44%) up from 39% from 2024 highlight the critical need for cybersecurity talent.

“The data center has evolved from a supporting player to the cornerstone of digital transformation. It’s the engine behind the most innovative solutions shaping our world today,” said Bill Kleyman, AFCOM Data Center World Program Chair, CEO and Co-Founder, Apolo.us. “This is a time to embrace bold experimentation and collective innovation, push boundaries, adopt transformative technologies and focus on sustainability to prepare for what lies ahead.”

The report surveyed data center professionals to determine implementation trends and buying patterns in areas such as: Key Market and Data Center Trends, Construction and DCIM Implementation, Power, Cooling, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, Cloud Migration Trends and Deploying AI Solutions, Infrastructure Threats and Supply Chain Challenges, Budget and Personnel Trends.

Register to receive the Executive Summary report here.

Data Center World is AFCOM’s annual gathering of IT and data center professionals. Data Center World 2025 takes place April 14 to 17 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. To register to attend Data Center World, click here.

AFCOM provides a forum for members to learn, build professional relationships across the industry, and engage with industry-specific tools, news and the latest research to support their full career development. To become a member, click here.

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About Data Center World

Data Center World is the global conference for data center facilities and IT professionals. It offers premier education, abundant networking, and the broadest access to best-in-class vendors. Designed to help data center and IT infrastructure professionals with challenging issues, Data Center World presents top quality knowledge without bias towards a specific vendor product or service. CIO Dive named Data Center World one of the top technology conferences to attend in 2024 for the second consecutive year. Additionally, for the second year in a row, Data Center World has been recognized by Trade Show Executive as a fast-growing trade show. Data Center World 2025 will be held April 14-17, in Washington, D.C. Data Center World is produced by Informa PLC. Building on the success of Data Center World U.S., the inaugural Data Center Asia, taking place July 15-17, 2025 in Hong Kong, will serve as the epicenter for data center technology innovations and business transformations in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific markets.

About AFCOM

AFCOM advances data center and IT professionals by delivering comprehensive and vendor-neutral education and peer-to-peer networking to its members around the world. Through forward-looking research, AFCOM supports thousands of IT, operations, facilities, builders/designers and vendors working in the data center and IT infrastructure industry. In serving the data center industry for more than 40 years, AFCOM has earned recognition as the market leader in educating, connecting and guiding the data center community.

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