The world will generate 181 ZB of data in 2025, an increase of 23.13% year over year and 2.5 quintillion bytes (a quintillion byte is also called an exabyte, EB) created daily, according to a report from Demandsage. To put that in perspective: One exabyte is equal to 1 quintillion bytes, which is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes. That’s 29 TB every second, or 2.5 million TB per day. It’s no wonder data centers have become so crucial for creating, consuming, and storing data — and no wonder investor interest has skyrocketed.  The surging demand for secure, scalable, high-performance retail and wholesale colocation and hyperscale data centers is spurred by the relentless, global expansion of cloud computing and demand for AI as data generation from businesses, governments, and consumers continues to surge. Power access, sustainable infrastructure, and land acquisition have become critical factors shaping where and how data center facilities are built.  As a result, investors increasingly view these facilities not just as technology assets, but as a unique convergence of real estate, utility infrastructure, and mission-critical systems. Capitalizing on this momentum, private equity and real estate investment firms are rapidly expanding into the sector through acquisitions, joint ventures, and new funds—targeting opportunities to build and operate facilities with a focus on energy efficiency and scalability.

The pace of innovation in artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the landscape of education, and the changes are happening rapidly. At the forefront of this movement stand developers, policy makers, educational practitioners, and associated experts at the recent Ai4 2025 conference (Aug. 11-13) in Las Vegas, where leading voices such as Geoffrey Hinton “The Godfather of AI,” top executives from Google and U.S. Bank, and representatives from multiple government agencies gathered to chart the future of AI development. Importantly, educators and academic institutions played a central role, ensuring that the approach to AI in schools is informed by those closest to the classroom. Key discussions at Ai4 and recent educator symposia underscored both the promise and peril of swift technological change. Generative AI, with its lightning-fast adoption since the advent of tools like ChatGPT, is opening new possibilities for personalized learning, skills development, and operational efficiency. But participants were quick to note that acceleration brings good and bad consequences. On one hand, there’s excitement about practical classroom implementations and the potential for students to engage with cutting-edge technology. On the other, concerns about governance, ethics, safety, and the depth of genuine learning remain at the forefront. This urgency to “do this right” is echoed by teachers, unions, and developers who are united by the challenges and opportunities on the ground. Their voices highlight the need for agreement on education policy and associated regulations to keep pace with technological progress, create frameworks for ethical and responsible use, and ensure that human agency remains central in shaping the future of childhood and learning. In this rapidly evolving environment, bringing all stakeholders to the table is no longer optional; it is essential for steering AI in education toward outcomes that benefit both students and society. Global Context: America, China, and the AI Race

The two dominant real estate research houses, JLL and CBRE, have released midyear snapshots of the North American data center market, and both paint the same picture in broad strokes: demand remains insatiable, vacancy has plunged to record lows, and the growth of AI and hyperscale deployments is reshaping every aspect of the business. But their lenses capture different angles of the same story: one emphasizing preleasing and capital flows, the other highlighting hyperscale requirements and regional shifts. Vacancy Falls Through the Floor JLL sets the stage with a stark headline: colocation vacancy is nearing 0%. The JLL Midyear 2025 North America Data Center report warns that this scarcity “is constraining economic growth and undermining national security,” underscoring the role of data centers as critical infrastructure. CBRE’s North American Data Center Trends H1 2025 numbers back this up, recording an all-time low North America vacancy rate of 1.6%, the tightest in more than a decade. Both agree that market loosening is years away — JLL projecting vacancy hovering around 2% through 2027, CBRE noting 74.3% of new capacity already spoken for. The takeaway seems clear: without preleasing, operators and tenants alike are effectively shut out of core markets. Absorption and Preleasing Drive Growth JLL drills down into the mechanics. With virtually all absorption tied to preleasing, the firm points to Northern Virginia (647 MW) and Dallas (575 MW) as the twin engines of growth in H1, joined by Chicago, Austin/San Antonio, and Atlanta. CBRE’s absorption math is slightly different, but the conclusion aligns: Northern Virginia again leads the nation, with 538.6 MW net absorption and a remarkable 80% surge in under-construction capacity. CBRE sharpens the view by noting that the fiercest competition is at the top end: single-tenant requirements of 10 MW or more are setting pricing records as hyperscalers

Aug. 28, RESTON, Va. — It’s the last day of the second-annual Data Center Frontier Trends Summit, marking the conclusion of a gathering of significant players in the data center world and their customers, all of whom are looking to get a better handle on the data center industry as it grapples with AI-fueled power demands, grid constraints, and an urgent need for infrastructure innovation. Taking place in the heart of Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley, acknowledged as the world’s premier data center hotspot, the conference in Reston, VA saw a significant increase in attendance in its second year, going from just over 300 attendees in its inaugural year to close to five hundred attendees this year. Not unexpected, many of the attendees were newcomers to the event, attracted by the strong list of speakers focused on critical topics to the industry, with an emphasis on power and artificial intelligence. Many conversation with the attendees had them identifying specific topics that were primary motivators to attend, while one attendee simply told us “after reading the presentation descriptions and the speakers list, how could we not attend?” From the opening keynote “Playbook Interrupted” presented by Chris Downie, CEO of Flexential, the tone and message of the conference was made clear. Touching on topics such as AI’s insatiable resource appetite, tightening energy policies, and power scarcity, Chris made it clear that todays’ data centers are breaking old frameworks and demanding new strategies for growth and resilience. The message was clear; times have changed and industry executives needed to be ready to change with them. Staying ahead of the curve was going to be more difficult, but just as important. It was tyime to develop a new playbook for your business operations. Getting to the Core of It With the demand for AI centric

The partnership is designed to accelerate development of repeatable, scalable solutions, according to reps. NTT Data’s GenAI framework called “Takumi” is at the heart of this development, designed to help clients move from idea to deployment by integrating with Google Cloud’s AI stack supporting rapid prototyping and GenAI use-case creation. This initiative expands NTT Data’s Smart AI Agent Ecosystem, which unites strategic technology partnerships, specialized assets, and an AI-ready talent engine to help users deploy and manage AI at scale.  New Business Group NTT Data has established a dedicated global Google Cloud Business Group comprising thousands of engineers, architects, and advisory consultants. This team will collaborate with Google Cloud teams to help clients adopt and scale AI-powered cloud technologies. The company also is investing in training and certification programs so teams across sales, presales, and delivery can sell, migrate, and implement AI-powered cloud solutions. NTT Data says it will certify 5,000 engineers in Google Cloud technology, a step that underscores the scale of resources both firms are committing to meet surging enterprise demand. Both companies are co-investing in global sales and go-to-market campaigns designed to fast-track adoption across priority industries. A Landmark Moment for NTT—and the Industry Marv Mouchawar, Head of Global Innovation at NTT Data, said the partnership is a significant milestone in the company’s mission to drive innovation and digital transformation across industries. “By combining NTT Data’s deep expertise in AI, cloud-native modernization and enterprise solutions with Google Cloud’s advanced technologies, we are helping businesses accelerate their AI-powered cloud adoption globally and unlock new opportunities for growth,” she noted. For the data center industry, this partnership is notable not just as a technology alignment but as a signal of where digital infrastructure is headed. Hyperscale cloud providers continue to expand their reach through partnerships with major service providers,

Joule Capital Partners, Caterpillar Inc., and Wheeler Machinery Co. have announced an agreement to power Joule’s High Performance Compute Data Center Campus in Utah. Joule, an infrastructure development firm, plans to create the largest single campus in Utah spanning 4,000 acres and set to launch in 2026. The goal is to create one of the most advanced data centers in the world.  Designed specifically for AI-driven workloads, the campus will have 4 GW total capacity, using integrated combined cooling heat and power (CCHP) solutions. It will be powered by Caterpillar’s G3520K generator sets, or gensets—a single piece of equipment that combines an engine with an electrical generator to produce electricity—and support equipment.  The distributed generation system produces electricity and captures waste heat to power and cool next-generation, high-density server systems. The solution includes 1.1 GWh of battery energy storage in addition to backup power generation served by various fuel sources.  Beyond the gensets, the integrated system will include controls, switchgear, inverters, energy storage solutions, CCHP and more, providing a complete power solution for the Joule data center.  With global headquarters in Irving, Texas, Caterpillar provides end-to-end power solutions for data centers, including primary and backup generators, sustainable energy options, microgrids, and service and support. The data center market has become a major driver of its growth. Wheeler Machinery is a Utah-based Caterpillar dealer offering Cat power systems. The company will provide local expertise, service, and support for Joule’s new campus. “This project represents the core of Joule’s mission—to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) ready compute capacity by pairing world-class data center campuses with reliable, on-demand power,” said David Gray, President of Joule Capital Partners.  “By combining Caterpillar’s advanced energy systems with Wheeler’s local expertise, we can bring gigawatt-scale capacity to market faster and more efficiently than ever before, ensuring our tenants have