ROI remains evasive as data centers thrive: executives agree that AI is everywhere, but unlocking its value is still uncertain. Barbara Jorgensen, Contributing Editor at Panel Builder US, sat down with Phil Gallagher, CEO, Avnet Inc. to discuss AI’s evolution, expanding data center demands, and the elusiveness of ROI in this space.
Corning Incorporated has announced a collaboration with US Conec to become a licensee of PRIZM® TMT optical ferrule technology, a solution that allows for higher fiber counts in tighter spaces inside data centers.
IsoShield technology enables isolated power modules with up to three times higher power density than discrete solutions, shrinking solution size as much as 70%.
Combination of Molex VersaBeam EBO Backplane Connector and Teramount TeraVERSE detachable fiber connector boosts serviceability and slashes deployment time by 85%.
The North American data center market is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by the surge in cloud computing, AI applications, and increasing demand for high-performance digital infrastructure. As data consumption rises, operators face growing pressure to expand capacity quickly, maintain high reliability, and ensure operational safety, all while keeping construction timelines tight and managing costs. This…
Molex has completed the acquisition of Smiths Interconnect, a subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Smiths Group plc, marking a major milestone in Molex’s vision to enable technology that is transforming the future and improving people’s lives. Smiths Interconnect brings a diverse portfolio of complementary products and advantaged capabilities in ruggedized custom connectors, contacts, RF components and…
Siemens has invested more than $165 million across North and South Carolina to support America’s rapidly accelerating AI and data center markets. The new and expanded sites directly support Siemens’ record levels of data center-related electrical equipment orders while also increasing the company’s US manufacturing capacity. These expanded facilities will enable faster production, assembly, and delivery of essential low and medium voltage products to customers. From protection and automation devices manufactured in Wendell, North Carolina, to busway systems produced in Roebuck, South Carolina, these solutions provide the electrical backbone needed to rapidly scale AI data centers and AI factories across the United States.
Industry analysts now forecast that American data centers could use up to 136 billion gallons of water annually by 2028, a potential fourfold rise driven by artificial intelligence’s insatiable appetite for computing power. Imagine a single 1-megawatt facility consuming over 25 million litres each year, enough to supply hundreds of thousands of people daily. As rack densities increase towards 50 kilowatts per unit, the digital infrastructure supporting modern progress risks colliding headlong with the planet’s natural limits.
When Meta, Google, and Microsoft collectively committed billions to “open” hardware standards, industry analysts inevitably declared the end of proprietary dominance. The narrative is intoxicating: freedom from vendor lock-in, dramatic cost reductions, and accelerated innovation. The Open Compute Project (OCP) market was projected to reach $36 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 18% through 2033. Yet beneath these impressive figures lies an uncomfortable truth that most technology journalists and industry commentators refuse to articulate: open hardware has become a luxury commodity exclusively available to those who can afford to employ armies of specialists to manage it.
Key developments of the strategic partnership include a next generation “sidecar” power rack that delivers fast, scalable, and standardized power directly in the data center white space.
The industry’s only heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR)–based storage platform deployed at-scale is now qualified and in production with two leading hyperscale cloud providers.
The certifications signal growing industry demand for independently validated AI systems capable of safely managing complex energy, power, cooling and operations at scale. UL Solutions Inc has announced the first certifications for products powered by artificial intelligence (AI) under its AI safety certification program, marking a key milestone in independently confirming trustworthy AI for complex, mission-critical…
New high‑density robotic cross‑connect system automates DR4/DR8 parallel‑optics links in AI GPU clusters, helping operators keep pace with surging AI bandwidth demand.
Expanded ecosystem brings compute and power flexibility together to accelerate grid interconnection and time to revenue for AI infrastructure operators.
Designed for data center, telecom and industrial applications, the AIF13WAC is a 48V, 600W power supply that delivers 20% higher output with 14% lower losses.
Eoptolink Technology Inc., Ltd. has announced the launch its high-density 6.4T NPO optical module at OFC 2026. Designed to meet the demanding requirements of AI data centers, the new solution delivers exceptional performance, density, and efficiency for next-generation optical interconnects. Eoptolink’s 6.4T NPO is a high-density near-packaged optical transceiver module designed to address performance and…