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AI Servers and Infrastructure Spending Fuel Future Growth

Looking ahead to the full year 2024, data center CapEx is projected to increase by 35 percent to over $400 billion, with spending on AI servers and infrastructure leading the way, according to the report. Hyperscale cloud service providers are racing to expand their AI offerings, creating a strong demand for these specialized systems.

“AI infrastructure adoption is still in its initial stages for enterprises, according to Baron Fung, Senior Research Director at Dell’Oro. “Organizations are figuring out how much to invest, as the return on investment (ROI) depends on the scale of AI models they plan to support on-premises and how well they can utilize those models. “

In the short term, he continued, using public cloud services may make more sense while enterprises refine their usage models. “One of the most common questions we encounter is how companies can monetize AI investments and achieve their desired returns.”

Infrastructure Progress Even with The Challenges

Despite these challenges, AI infrastructure deployments are gaining traction, particularly outside of hyperscalers. Server OEMs such as Dell, Supermicro, and HPE, which cater to non-hyperscaler markets, have significantly increased their AI system sales.

Beyond high costs, enterprises must address limitations in power and data center capacity, as AI infrastructure often has different power and cooling needs compared to traditional IT systems, explained Fung.

Organizations investing in AI for private data centers include Tier 2 cloud providers and enterprises in industries such as finance and high-tech manufacturing.

“While some may deploy large AI clusters, most are implementing smaller-scale systems (e.g., a few racks) for tasks like fine-tuning models or inferencing; others are building private AI clouds to ensure sensitive data remains isolated from the broader internet,” explained Fung.

Data Center AI Infrastructure Spending Trends

While the report covered advancements in many types of data center equipment spending, AI/accelerated service CapEx is more important than the rest as it is growing faster, followed by physical infrastructure. Potential customers should realize that all the pieces of the data center need to be deployed in synchronization.

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This rapid increase was primarily driven by the rise of accelerated servers, which are critical for generative AI applications. This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of triple-digit year-over-year revenue growth in accelerated server shipments.

Driving Accelerated Computing

AI has performance requirements that are different from those of traditional HPC. As such, hardware accelerators and co-processors for AI are designed to complement a high-performance CPU or other processor for the purpose of accelerating a specific function or workload.

To that point, accelerated computing utilizes specialized hardware like GPUs, ASICs, DPUs, TPUs, and FPGAs to execute computations more efficiently than CPUs, enhancing speed and performance. It is especially beneficial for tasks that can be parallelized, such as high-performance computing, deep learning, ML, and AI.

Server upgrades, particularly to 4th and 5th generation CPU platforms, have been long overdue, and despite ongoing global economic uncertainties, demand for these systems is expected to rise, says the report.

New Data Center Physical Infrastructure (DCPI)

The data center physical infrastructure (DCPI) market outperformed expectations in the first half of this year. Growth was attributed to new data center construction with AI-related design modifications to support increasing rack power densities, according to the report. North America led the way with the fastest growth rate, while revenues in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding China, also saw double-digit growth.

Server and storage system component revenues reached record highs in the first two quarters of the year. The rapid growth of accelerators, which include GPUs and custom accelerators, as well as memory and storage drives, was a key factor behind this revenue increase. “Generative AI applications were the primary drivers of accelerated server demand, but higher commodity prices, particularly for memory and storage drives, also contributed to the revenue surge, explained Fung.

With respect to component revenues, the report forecasted them to double in 2024, fueled by the increased deployment of specialized processors such as accelerators and SmartNICs. Commodity component prices, such as memory and storage drives, are expected to rise throughout the year.

Another element of data center infrastructure that needs to be updated for AI is Ethernet switches. It might be several more quarters for this segment to grow due to inventory issues. “We project the recovery in the Ethernet switch market to be led by the hyperscale cloud SPs on both networks for general-purpose computing and AI clusters,” said Fung.

The Road Ahead on Infrastructure for AI Data Center Directions

AI impacts far more than data center operations of users and service providers operations, especially in the area of network management. And since it’s a fast-evolving area, learning more about AI is solid advice. Is your infrastructure ready?

Details: Published on 12 February 2026

(Credit: Kim Christensen / Alamy Stock Photo)

Copper thieves cost U.S. businesses $1 billion a year and are a threat to critical infrastructure. What can you do to prevent putting resiliency at risk?

Just when IT managers thought they had accounted for and addressed all possible threats to the health and well-being of their network sites, an unforeseen challenge has emerged. That is the rise in cooper thieves who turn copper lines into gold.

The cash-for-copper phenomenon is not new, but it has evolved into a nationwide problem, resulting in knocked-out lights, interrupted traffic, downed countless websites, and transportation nightmares.

In some cases, crimes are committed by drug addicts looking to get some quick cash. In other cases, crimes are committed by organized groups or opportunistic thieves, such as employees of businesses that work with metal.

Ohio ranks first among the top five states with the most insurance claims for metal thefts, followed by Texas, Georgia, California, and North Carolina. Utilities will pass increased insurance costs to businesses and consumers.

The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that metal theft costs U.S. businesses around $1 billion a year. From January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2012, NICB analysts identified 33,775 insurance claims for the theft of copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum—32,568 of them (96 percent) for copper alone. This shows a 36 percent increase in claims when compared with the 25,083 claims reported between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2011.

Cash for copper thieves have expanded their mainstay powerline targets to include harvesting the metal from ground and roof-mounted HVAC units and systems, raising concerns among telecom service providers that disrupting cooling could cause challenges to switching systems, data centers, and POPs without adequate backup systems. Most communications service providers offer service-level agreements (SLA) under which businesses are promised a certain amount of uptime and a mean-time to repair problems, which, if unmet, can result in financial compensation or cancellation of the contract.

How Copper Thieves Disrupt Critical Infrastructure

The FBI reports that electrical substations, cell towers, telephone landlines, railroads, construction sites, and vacant homes are all targets. This can disrupt electricity, telecommunications, transportation, water supply, heating, security, and emergency systems.

Network service resiliency at risk. Examples of the scope of the disruptions abound, including:

Washington State: Copper thefts near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport disabled the approach lighting for one of the airport’s runways. Thieves are also stealing copper-based EV charging cords. Lumen, a global communications service provider, has already shelled out $500,000 due to copper thefts in 2024 in Washington alone.
California: In late August, 82 suspects were arrested after tens of thousands of pounds of copper were recovered as part of a crackdown by Los Angeles police and staff on thieves.
Mississippi: Five tornado warning sirens didn’t alert residents of impending storms because their copper wires had been stolen, according to a blog by Ooma.
Texas: Metal thieves stole over $10,000 of copper from the Garland, Texas, area before being pursued and arrested by police.
Virginia: After a spike of copper thefts from copper-carrying trucks traveling along Virginia highways, state authorities in Virginia, working with National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) special agents, arrested a man at the center of the thefts.
A spike in copper cable thefts in recent months has left AT&T customers in South Dallas, Texas, without phone and internet service on more than a few occasions.

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(Credit: FPI / Alamy Stock Photo)

Telcos React to Cooper Thieves

AT&T is collaborating with local officials and the police in the Dallas area. The company offered residents a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection with copper cable thefts. Smaller carriers in less densely populated areas, such as Kinetic, have also offered a $10,000 reward.

Although notifying law enforcement and your service provider(s) when hit by a loss of power to parts of your business seems like a normal reaction, IT managers may want to consider problem prevention. Beset by copper for cash attacks, an industry coalition put together a list of tips to thwart these metal thieves. It is summed up below.

To prevent copper thieves from carrying out their mischief, consider taking the following steps:

Develop a security plan for your business that identifies vulnerabilities. Ask your local law enforcement professionals to assist you with this process.
Deny access by adding fences and gates to contain this private property. Ask your local law enforcement for help in enforcing the law on private property.
Add security lighting to areas where thieves and other criminals may hide.
Deny access to your roof-mounted HVAC units by removing fixed ladders (do not remove fire escapes) and other step-ups, including tree branches.
Consider the use of steel cages to enclose your AC units. The heavier the gauge of steel, the longer it will take to cut. For example, 10–12-gauge steel can take one to two hours to cut. Avoid standard chain link fencing as it can be cut quickly.
Use security cameras, but they must be properly protected, installed, and monitored.
Use alarms mounted to your HVAC units. If the unit is tampered with, including cutting of refrigerant and power lines, an alarm will sound.

A Final Word on Copper Thieves and Net Resiliency

Although law enforcement entities are cracking down on copper thefts, it remains a growing problem across the nation. Hopefully, with enhanced awareness and preventative measures, organizations can sidestep business interruption.

Details: Published on 14 August 2024

Credit: Ruslan Kudrin / Alamy Stock Photo)

DPUs (data processing units) are gaining favor as they are extensively used to accelerate AI and ML workloads by offloading tasks such as neural network inference and training from CPUs and GPUs.

Change is a constant in the technology industry. The newest entity in town that is revamping data centers is the data processing unit (DPU).

Why? The DPU is at the core of a rearchitect of processing power where servers have expanded well beyond a central processing unit (CPU) to a series of specialty processors, each offloading a specific set of tasks so CPU can fly.

By offloading lifeblood data handling functions from central processor units (CPU), DPUs are driving a data center makeover that can cut the amount of electricity used for cooling by 30%, reducing the number of expensive servers needed while boosting performance.

Details: Published on 14 August 2024

(Credit: Naeblys / Alamy Stock Photo)

The law, which only covers three miles out from land, pits lawmakers against countries looking to divide the world's seabed through the Law of the Sea for mining that threatens the environment and subsea cable networks.

Opposition to deep seabed mining got a shot in the arm this week when Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green signed a bill into law prohibiting the mining, extraction, and the removal of minerals in the state’s waters. The issue is of note to IT managers, because while deep seabed mining could threaten the environment, it could also potentially impact subsea cables, and the subsea fiber optic communications network that the world relies upon.

The flashpoint issue comes as most countries have already signed onto the United Nations “Law of the Sea Treaty” designed to give signatories access to part of the world’s sea bottom for deep sea mining of metals. The U.S. has not signed the treaty despite strong interest dating back decades.

A grassroots organization drove the creation and approval of the bill, which notably only covers waters three miles out from Hawaiian shores.

“The Surfrider Foundation is grateful to see our Hawai’i state legislators step up and support the critical work needed to protect our deep-sea ecosystems. Senate Bill 2575 will provide crucial protection for Hawaii’s marine environment, fisheries, and tourism-related economy. The bill also sends a powerful global message about the importance of preventing the destructive practice of seabed mining,” said Lauren Blickley, Surfrider’s Hawaiʻi Regional Manager.

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s ocean, waves, and beaches for all people through a powerful activist network. The group claims it has helped pass laws in Washington and California to ban seabed mining in state waters.

What’s seabed mining?

Seabed mining involves industrial-scale prospecting for metals and other minerals along the ocean floor. “Such activity can damage marine habitats that nurture commercially and recreationally important fish and other species,” explained Blickley. Seabed mining can also create sediment clouds in the water column that smother or negatively impact the feeding and reproduction of marine life, including plankton, groundfish, and forage fish. These sediment clouds and the associated noise of seabed mining can also harm whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals.

Is three miles enough?

Those interested in deep seabed mining have already identified mineral rich areas and in many cases, have already landed licenses from the global group to access the areas of their interest, which likely do not reach close to countries’ shorefronts. The United Nations has designated the International Seabed Authority to govern activities, but some claim they have only limited authority.

What is the Law of the Sea?

Those in favor of deep seabed mining, the 268 countries and the European Union, have been looking to open a subsea front for precious mineral access. Those countries, including China, have signed onto the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) treaty, which allows for the division of the international seabed.

U.S. Government Action Urged

The Surfriders group wants more and more far-reaching protections. “The time has come for the U.S. government to take a leadership role on the global stage by pushing for a moratorium on seabed mining in international waters until a suitable regulatory framework is established.”

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Details: Published on 14 August 2024

(Credit: oxinoxi / Alamy Stock Vector)

What to do and avoid with older 2G and 3G wireless networks in the absence of 5G.

Although 5G wireless networks are available more widely around the globe to fuel business expansion, the patchwork of availability presents challenges for companies seeking a simple approach.

In the U.S., 5G is offered by the top service providers, and their 2G and 3G predecessors have been shut down. However, this scenario is largely limited to areas in Canada, China, Japan, the U.K., Germany, India, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.

The reality for U.S. and foreign firms looking to expand internationally is that much of the rest of the world is playing catchup with 5G and are advancing at different speeds. Some regions in Africa, South America and eastern Europe are hamstrung by having to divert money, spectrum, and other resources to keep old but crucial 2G and 3G networks running to support IoT devices, and more.

GSMA Intelligence has this month released a downloadable chart that looks at the 5G process and “look at the relationship between 5G network launches and the shutting down of 2G/3G networks.,” according to author Radhika Gupta of the wireless association. Where 2G and 3G wireless networks are the best options, organizations will need to consider the following challenges and possible steps, according to Susie Siouti, Chief Commercial Officer for SmartViser, a maker of test automation offerings for Mobile Network Operators, regulators, device manufacturers, and enterprises.

Waiting for 5G, the top 7 recommendations

Here are seven ideas on how to get by until 5G becomes available.

Limit or halt videoconferencing as it requires significant bandwidth to function properly and provide an acceptable QoS.
Optimize products for lower bandwidth if possible. “Optimize apps and websites to function smoothly on lower bandwidth networks,” says Siouti. “This involves minimizing large images and implementing data compression.”
Consider OTT apps, such as WhatsApp, Viber, etc., for voice communications.
Remember, 2G and 3G lack sufficient wireless security features and functionality found with higher speeds networks. Older network technologies like 2G and 3G have more vulnerabilities, increasing data security risks.
Look for help beyond wireless. Consider hybrid connectivity solutions such as satellite or private networks to supplement the available infrastructure.
Local Partnerships: Partner with local businesses to leverage their existing networks and resources. “Some businesses may find it beneficial to partner with a local telecom company to help upgrade the infrastructure or even invest in some private network setups," added Siouti.
For larger-scale projects, these partners can help them financially, and they can get preferential service.

Prepping for 5G: 7 steps

Finding talent
For companies without staff (or consultants) skilled in the challenges of handling wireless communications outside the 50 states, it may help to have an expert in logistics, supply chains, and disaster recovery, which are developed in the armed forces. You might seek individuals (local and in the U.S.) with experience in the regions you plan to enter to understand the evolving nature of the available wireless networks, satellite options, and support for voice.

Timelines
What do they have now, and what's their timeline for transitioning to higher-speed wireless networks? If a telco still operates older wireless networks (2G and 3G), be wary that this is costly and requires precious spectrum needed to advance 4G and 5G. Sizable regions of continents, such as Africa, still rely on 2G networks. Here, older networks support IoT devices and far-flung sensors on pipelines, utilities locations, alarm systems, and agriculture devices.

Funding
Check operators' capex spending plans. And is there competition among operators in markets? It can drive investment in 5G and other technologies as opposed to a monopoly or duopoly scenario.

And then in some cases, such as the U.S., funding is available from certain government agencies. With the top three operators offering 5G and having already shut down 2G and 3G to help enable the transition, the FCC recently announced a $9 billion fund specifically targeted at extending 5G to rural and other underserved areas.

Regulatory
You must determine how involved regulators are in the advancement of 5G. Claiming a handful of large US tech companies are accounting for a disproportional amount of their network bandwidth, a large group of European operators pushed a plan called Fair Share, to drive broadband expansion on the continent. The plan was discussed and debated at length before regulators put it on ice. It’s unclear if the EU will meet its decade end broadband availability goal.

Hit the maps
As history has shown with new wireless network services, the first areas to get turned up are typically urban areas, business hubs, and along the transportation routes that connect them. Rural areas often come much later. Check operator maps to gain insight into whether they are a match with your business expansion plans.

Geopolitical issues, discord
Where aren't there geopolitical issues today? There's Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and the South China Sea between China and Taiwan. Many countries in Africa are embroiled in ongoing conflict as groups fight for control.

At their best, expect supply chains to be disrupted and difficult to rework due to armed conflict.

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Data Center Directions: Servers and Infrastructure for Generative AI Fuel Future Growth