You don’t have to look very far to see evidence of the rapid growth of the data center industry. From IT closets to server rooms, off-site and colocation took less than a generation. Today, 100MW facilities are the norm for top-tier data centers, and the outlook going forward is for even more. IDC projects that “mega-data centers” will account for 70% of construction in the sector over the next few years.

The growth is being driven by both consumer-level demand in the form of streaming services, social media and other online commerce as well as the rise of IIoT applications for businesses of all stripes.