Bill Kleyman: The State of the Data Center in 2021

We're jazzed this week to have Bill Kleyman as our guest. Bill is Executive VP of Digital Solutions at Switch, as well as author of the AFCOM State of the Data Center research report and head of millennial outreach for Infrastructure Masons. Bill has been an editorial contributor for both Data Center Knowledge and DCF, and is a technology evangelist with nearly boundless enthusiasm for his work. In this podcast, Bill and DCF Editor Rich Miller dig into some of the prevailing trends in digital infrastructure (digital transformation, cloud repatriation, FinOps and, yes, ROBOTS!)  as well as the big challenges facing the data center industry (staffing, sustainability and inclusion). It's a fun, wide-ranging conversation. Here's a timeline of topics Bill and I discuss on the podcast: 3:30 - The latest trends in how enterprise customers are using cloud, service providers and on-premises data centers. 7:30 - Cloud Repatriation: Is this a thing? How important is this trend? Bill digs into the details. 11:15 - FinOps is the hot new infrastructure specialty. Bill and Rich discuss the power of FinancialOps. 15:00 - The data center staffing challenge: Initiatives to introduce young workers to data center careers. 26:00 - How robots and autonomous systems may help maintain data centers. 35:00 -  Why the growing focus on ESG is good for data centers and good for the planet. Here are links to stories we discuss on the podcast: Infrastructure Masons: https://imasons.org/ Sustainable Finance: The Next Frontier in the Data Center Climate Response: https://datacenterfrontier.com/sustainable-finance-the-next-frontier-in-data-centers-climate-response/ Oracle Unleashes Robot Dogs in Chicago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqL9mqmxh58 Be sure to subscribe for more great data center content!