Demand for data center space is hitting all-time records. That is creating a major boom in data center construction, including more projects and larger campuses.

How does the industry keep track of all this construction? For more than 1,000 data center projects, the answer is OpenSpace, a technology company that provides visual intelligence on construction job sites. Its platform uses 360-degree cameras, smartphones and drones to create a digital record of the project that can be updated in real time.

OpenSpace packages this "reality capture" visual data in apps that offer a remote overview of the project, giving owners, general contractors, and subcontractors a shared visual record of every corner of these massive sites, updated continuously as work progresses.

OpenSpace CEO Jeevan Kalanithi joins us for a fascinating discussion about his company's platform and the role of technology in construction.

Here's an overview of the discussion between host Rich Miller and Jeevan Kalanithi:

00:00 - How Technology is Transforming Data Center Construction

02:55 - Jeevan's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey

05:30 - How OpenSpace Models a Construction Site

09:20 - How the Data s Collected and Delivered

12:45 - Data Center Delivery and the Labor Talent Challenge

21:10 - The Human Component - Feedback from Contractors

27:40 - The Tech Required for a Global Video Enterprise

31:20 - The Road Ahead for Construction Tech

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more insights:
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LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

OpenSpace
https://www.openspace.ai/

OpenSpace on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/openspace.ai/posts/?feedView=all

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Inside the Future of Data Center Construction
https://youtu.be/o0mfu_em4rg?si=BnPSEnb-K3rN01D7

An Inside Look at the Data Center Development Journey
https://youtu.be/tp9tzLjurms

How AI Finds More Electricity for Data Centers
https://youtu.be/OcxupZZsGj0?si=OArBPdq-nxzC84ES

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound
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Inside the Future of Data Center Construction

Demand for data center capacity has never been higher. But building a data center is a complex undertaking, involving global supply chains and local contractors. As the industry seeks to build super-sized data center campuses, there are reports that a growing number of projects are falling behind schedule.

So what's the state of data center construction? To find out, we speak with Doug Mouton, who for many years worked with construction teams building data centers for Microsoft and Meta. Doug and host Rich Miller discuss the complexities of building at AI scale, and the supply chain and staffing challenges faced by large campus projects.

Doug is particularly focused on worker safety on job sites. Although data center construction teams have reduced the number of safety incidents, there is more work to do, especially on mental health and wellness for a workforce facing constant pressure on delivery schedules.

Doug is also deeply connected as an advisor and board member in the sector, and shares his takes on capital, the risks of geography and silicon, how inference may guide where projects get built, and how power influences the entire market.

Here's an overview of our discussion:

00:00 - Data Center Construction in the Spotlight

02:30 - Doug Mouton's Data Center Journey

06:40 - Data Center Delivery at AI Scale

10:24 - Data Center Safety: Stats and Solutions

18:40 - The Role of Capital in Data Center Development

23:40 - Training and Inference, and How it Shapes Digital Geography

32:00 - The Role of Power in Data Center Growth

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

VISIT OUR SITE:

Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

Doug Mouton on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-mouton/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

An Inside Look at the Data Center Development Journey
https://youtu.be/tp9tzLjurms

How AI Finds More Electricity for Data Centers
https://youtu.be/OcxupZZsGj0?si=OArBPdq-nxzC84ES

Solid-State Transformers and the Future of AI
https://youtu.be/fyN9_9wz-3M

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound
https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

The transformer is a key component of power delivery, but its core design dates to the 19th century. A number of startups are working to build a better transformer using software-defined power electronics that are ready for the AI era.

One of those companies is DG Matrix. It focuses on solid-state transformers, which are emerging as as a critical piece of the infrastructure for next-generation AI data center. DG Matrix CEO and cofounder Haroon Inam joins us to discuss solid-state transformers, and how a multi-port design can provide new options for savings and efficiency in the data center power chain.

Here's an overview of our conversation:

00:00 - Why Power Transformers Are Ripe for Disruption

01:05 - Haroon Inam's Journey in Power Electronics

04:15 - Types of Transformers and Their Availability

07:15 - Why Multi-Port SSTs Matter

15:00 - How Can SSTs Help Data Centers?

18:00 - The DG Matrix Offering

22:45 - SSTs and the 800 VDC Transition

25:15 - What the 800 VDC Shift May Look Like

32:30 - What Are the Challenges to SST Adoption

37:00 - Partnerships with Exowatt and InfraPartners

40:00 - The Road Ahead for DG Matrix

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

DG Matrix
https://www.dgmatrix.com/

Solid-State Transformers Could Reshape the Future of AI
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/p/solid-state-transformers-could-reshape

Haroon Inam on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/harooninam/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Solid-State Transformers and the Future of AI
https://youtu.be/fyN9_9wz-3M

Exowatt: The Solar Startup Aiming to Transform Data Centers
https://youtu.be/KPdI5OW-TUw?si=8a10IaGZGQAcbWEF

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=u6kDairimGUARt3b

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx