Recent technological breakthroughs have been driving a paradigm shift in the way organizations approach data centers. As advancements in AI, machine learning, edge computing, and sustainability gain momentum, businesses are compelled to modernize their infrastructure to stay competitive. In an exclusive conversation with Tech Achieve Media, Landon ‘Erik’ Stewart, Senior Director of Modern Data Center at AHEAD, shares how the company is enabling this transformation. From embracing cutting-edge technologies to fostering global collaboration and strategic partnerships, Stewart offers a comprehensive perspective on aligning data center strategies with evolving business priorities.
TAM: What is catalysing the push for organisations to adopt modern data centers?
Erik Stewart: The biggest shift we’re seeing is in scalability, particularly with the rise of AI and machine learning. To support these advancements, organizations are transitioning to modern data centers that provide the necessary compute power. This shift requires embracing new technologies, like liquid-cooled racks, to handle the increased demands of AI workloads.
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Compute power is a critical component for AI, with many companies building super pods to meet these needs. These aren’t your traditional data centers; they’re evolving to keep pace with the rapid progress in AI and machine learning. Modernization has become essential for staying ahead.
Organizations still relying on traditional three-tier architecture may not yet feel the urgency to adapt. However, those looking to embrace the future of AI and machine learning are actively exploring their options for modern data center solutions. What defines the “modern” data center is still a work in progress—it’s being shaped as the technology advances.
TAM: How do you see the role of data centers evolving in response to the rapid advancements in cloud-native technologies and edge computing?
Erik Stewart: There are a few significant trends emerging, with AI being a major one. However, it’s not the only factor shaping the modern landscape. Another big trend is edge computing, which focuses on low-latency solutions. Organizations are also exploring the potential of IoT, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible beyond traditional three-tier architectures.
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We’re seeing a shift toward software-defined data centers, encompassing cloud, hybrid cloud, and the evolving demands of AI and machine learning. These workloads are often resource-intensive, further driving the need for modernization. Additionally, there’s growing interest in virtualization and containerization technologies. Automation tools like Kubernetes are becoming increasingly important as organizations work to optimize resources and streamline processes.
TAM: What are the key considerations when aligning enterprise data center strategies with business goals, particularly in industries undergoing digital transformation?
Erik Stewart: Security and resiliency are the two major priorities that organizations are focusing on. The key questions are:
- How do we secure it? Is it in an isolated environment? Does it require physical security measures, encryption, or a combination of both?
- How do we ensure resiliency? How can we guarantee zero downtime? If downtime occurs, what’s the fastest path to recovery?
Protecting data is a critical aspect, involving access controls, disaster recovery plans, and compliance with various industry and government standards, such as healthcare regulations. Each sector has unique requirements, making this a complex but essential area to address.
Our approach starts with assessments. We work closely with customers to identify their security and uptime requirements, plan for potential breaches, and determine the quickest recovery strategies. Beyond building new infrastructure, we focus on protecting it and preparing for unforeseen events.
Next, we move to the design and implementation phases, ensuring that the infrastructure meets the identified needs. A crucial step in this process is testing. We rigorously test the environment to confirm security measures are effective and identify any vulnerabilities.
After testing, we perform an analysis to address any issues discovered. This iterative process involves:
- Identifying design flaws.
- Refining the design.
- Retesting to ensure improvements are effective.
This cycle of designing, testing, analyzing, and repairing is continuous—it’s not a one-time effort. Building and maintaining resilient, secure infrastructure requires ongoing attention to ensure it can adapt to emerging challenges.
TAM: What are the biggest challenges enterprises face in scaling their data center infrastructure to meet modern IT demands, and how does AHEAD address these challenges?
Erik Stewart: The most important thing we consider is the customer’s desired outcome. How can we leverage their existing infrastructure to achieve that goal while minimizing costs? Every company prioritizes their bottom line, so if they’ve invested in hardware that’s still under warranty and delivering the results they need, we aim to integrate and optimize it rather than simply replacing it.
At AHEAD, we take all these factors into account. Our approach is not about “rip and replace.” Instead, we collaborate with customers to understand their budgets and work within those constraints to help them achieve their objectives.
For example, instead of replacing hardware outright, we might:
- Add automation to their existing systems.
- Transition to a hybrid model, combining on-premises and cloud solutions.
- Implement software-defined solutions in the cloud for specific needs like data protection or disaster recovery.
Using disaster recovery as a service in the cloud, for instance, eliminates the need to purchase additional hardware while delivering robust protection. AHEAD offers flexibility in achieving outcomes, whether it’s optimizing existing equipment, building entirely new solutions, or creating a hybrid approach that combines the best of both worlds.
TAM: What emerging trends in data center technologies, such as AI-powered automation or sustainability initiatives, are you most excited about, and how is AHEAD positioning itself to leverage these innovations?
Erik Stewart: AI and machine learning are at the forefront of everyone’s priorities right now. While they are incredibly exciting fields, I approach them cautiously because they are resource-intensive and require a significant investment to implement effectively. However, once organizations establish a true AI or machine learning model, the possibilities are exhilarating.
The biggest challenge, unsurprisingly, is the cost. AI and machine learning are compute-heavy endeavors, requiring cutting-edge technology like that from NVIDIA. We’ve partnered closely with NVIDIA, and our India team is currently undergoing NVIDIA certifications to start designing and configuring NVIDIA pods. While the physical builds are done in the factory, our team is responsible for configurations, designs, testing, and more.
One of the key factors that set AHEAD apart from our competitors is our global approach. While we have a strong presence in India, we don’t operate as a siloed organization. Instead, we function as a truly global team. Our India operations are integrated into our global leadership structure, ensuring seamless collaboration across geographies.
Centers of Excellence in India have a long history, particularly in areas like help desks, but at AHEAD, we’ve realized the immense potential of India’s deep and highly skilled talent pool. Whether work is done in India or elsewhere, the quality remains consistent because we draw from our global talent network.
What excites me even more than the technology is the strength of our people. We’ve built a robust global team that I believe is unmatched in the industry. Our India team, in particular, is pivotal to our global operations. From a skill set perspective, no single location can provide all the talent we need, which is why we cast a wide net globally.
Currently, our India team consists of 23 members, and by the end of the year, we plan to nearly double that to 50. This growth enables us not only to broaden our reach but also to deepen the specialized skill sets we need across storage, data protection, virtualization, compute, and converged and hyper-converged infrastructure.
One of our major initiatives out of India is building a new practice dedicated to Broadcom, VMware, and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). This practice, centered on Cloud Foundations, will be built and managed from our India operations, showcasing the critical role the team plays in driving innovation and staying ahead of the market.
TAM: What lessons have you learned about bridging the gap between technical execution and strategic business outcomes in enterprise IT environments?
Erik Stewart: First and foremost, we need to establish strong partnerships with key players like Dell, NVIDIA, Cisco, and VMware. No single organization—or individual—has all the answers. We must leverage these relationships to deliver best-in-class solutions. While we have incredibly smart and capable people, true success lies in working collaboratively as one cohesive team.
This aligns with our core motto: We are One AHEAD. It’s more than just a slogan—it’s a guiding principle. If we break this collaborative model, our approach simply won’t work. That’s the most important lesson for us to remember: we are one team, working together to achieve shared success.
Another critical factor in our success is flexibility and the commitment to continuous learning. The technology landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and if we aren’t actively educating ourselves and adapting to these changes, we’ll inevitably fall behind.
This applies universally. Technology is advancing faster than ever before. Consider where we were just a decade ago: traditional three-tier architecture dominated the data center space. Even with innovations like V-blocks, the underlying architecture remained largely the same—compute, storage, and networking housed in a single rack.
Today, the game has changed entirely. Data centers are no longer confined to a single rack. Solutions now require specialized compute power, whether from CPUs or GPUs. We have to carefully consider what kind of processing power is needed, the storage requirements on the back end, and the network capacity to handle this level of computing.
On top of that, we face increasing challenges related to power and cooling. Modern data centers demand advanced solutions like liquid-cooled racks, optimized hot and cold aisle configurations, and energy-efficient power consumption strategies.
The key to thriving in this dynamic environment is flexibility. Staying informed and adaptable is non-negotiable—because if you don’t keep up, you’ll quickly get left behind.
