F E A T U R E

point to declining asset health. Acting on these signals allows upgrades and replacements to be planned calmly, rather than under pressure.

The challenge lies in using this data to support long term decisions rather than treating it as a compliance exercise.

Treating cooling as critical infrastructure

As AI continues to shape data centre demand, cooling systems will carry more responsibility than ever before. Older equipment that once coped adequately is now being pushed closer to its limits, often without a corresponding change in how it is managed or funded.

The operators best placed to support next-generation workloads will be those who recognise the risk posed by ageing assets and address it directly. That means moving away from short-term repairs, investing in lifecycle planning and treating cooling with the same seriousness as power and connectivity.

AI has raised expectations for what data centres can deliver. Meeting those expectations depends as much on the condition of existing infrastructure as it does on the technology being installed today. �

26 www. intelligentdatacentres. com