The transformation of data centers into artificial intelligence data centers is reshaping the industry, highlighting the importance of innovation, efficiency and sustainability.

As businesses strive to keep up with technological advancements, the urgency to adopt AI and modernize their infrastructure has become more pronounced, according to Brian Payne (pictured, right), vice president of cloud product management at Dell Technologies Inc.

Dell’s Varun Chhabra and Brian Payne talk with theCUBE about AI data centers.

“The amount of focus on innovation around AI has just been mind-blowing and staggering,” he said. “The call to action has been clear, and it’s been exciting.”

Payne and Varun Chhabra (left), senior vice president of product marketing, ISG and telecom, at Dell, spoke with theCUBE Research’s John Furrier and Savannah Peterson at Dell Technologies World, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the transformation of data centers into AI-driven hubs, the importance of sustainability and energy efficiency, and Dell Technologies’ comprehensive services to support businesses in integrating AI and modernizing their infrastructure. (* Disclosure below.)

Innovating with AI data centers for efficiency and sustainability

Gone are the days of traditional data centers; the new era belongs to AI data centers that act as AI factories designed for efficiency and sustainability. The integration of AI into data centers is not just about upgrading hardware; it involves a holistic approach to design and operation, according to Chhabra.

“Whether you’re retrofitting your existing data center, you’ve got to think through the entire stack. What’s the position that your hardware vendor is taking on? How these are built, how these are designed,” Chhabra said. “What’s the software layer in terms of being able to manage these? What are the services and professional services that you’re getting to be able to actually think about this from the ground up? I think that’s a place where we feel like we have capabilities in all of those three areas.”

Meanwhile, sustainability and energy efficiency are at the core of modern data center design. Dell’s approach includes using recyclable materials and focusing on the circular economy, Payne explained.

“We’ve got to think about how do we cope with 8X growth in power over the next six years, all driven by gen AI infrastructure. Well, the good news is that we have a legacy of designing systems for pushing the envelope,” Payne said. “If you think back to the advent of the hyperscale public cloud, we were very much involved in building out those data centers, which were pushing the envelope at that point in time … how do we make sure that the design within the system is as efficient as possible. That’s absolutely necessary because, at the end of the day, what’s good for sustainability is also good for business.”

Dell’s comprehensive services extend beyond hardware and software. They offer end-to-end solutions that help customers develop sustainable data center plans and integrate generative AI capabilities into their operations, according to Chhabra.

“We’ve got a lot of unique IP that we can help customers with from a process perspective. So asset recovery services. If you think about, hey, how do you responsibly recycle your e-waste? Make sure that that helps you with the recyclable, the circular economy,” Chhabra said. “Data center and modernization services. We started this conversation talking about, you’ve got to think from the ground up in terms of how you’ve got to retrofit your data centers or build them from scratch. We have a lot of experience we can help customers with, and they’re looking to us for that.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of Dell Technologies World:

(* Disclosure: Dell Technologies Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Dell Technologies nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE