Episode #8 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features an interview with Ian McClarty, President of phoenixNAP.
- Understand the evolution of the data center industry and managed services companies over the past few decades
- Learn how to adapt sales strategies to changing customer needs and increasing industry complexity
- Discover ways to realign your IT career or upskill to new areas of growth through advice from an industry leader
- Gain insights into how the rise of semiconductor manufacturing is impacting job creation and regional power constraints
- Explore how AI is changing roles, tools, and daily routines within the data center industry
Host:
Joshua Feinberg, CEO
DCSMI
Special Guest:
Ian McClarty, President
phoenixNAP
The conversation with Ian McClarty from phoenixNAP addressed the changing nature of sales organizations in the data center industry, with a focus on adaptability, understanding different use case scenarios, and providing value to customers.
The role of sales and marketing professionals is shifting in response to the rise of AI, with a focus on consultative sales and collaboration to build trust and understand customer needs. McClarty also discussed the challenges and opportunities of navigating the evolution of IT services, including the convergence of cloud and private infrastructure, shifting focus from managed services to software development, and creative solutions to address challenges such as power utilization and resource allocation gaps.
Finally, McClarty highlighted the growing interest in AI among non-developer job roles and the importance of research and education in understanding the technology and its potential applications.
Action Items
- Provide community tours and space for user groups to educate others about data centers.
- Continue thought leadership content to educate people on tech trends and AI workloads.
Outline
Leadership in the data center industry with a focus on adapting to market changes.
- Ian McClarty discussed his journey in the data center industry, from electrical engineering to leadership roles at phoenixNAP.
- Ian McClarty highlighted the importance of understanding the customer's use case scenarios and adapting to the industry's increasing complexity.
- Discusses the evolution of phoenixNAP's business, from managed services to bare metal infrastructure and global expansion.
- Highlights the company's focus on network connectivity and high-density power usage, and how it has become a specialist in the Metro market.
Evolution of managed services companies, scaling, and software development.
- Shares insights on the evolution of managed services from the late 1990s to the early 2010s.
- Company shifting focus from managed services to software development.
- Scaling platform through internal software development efforts.
IT career growth and frustration, with advice on upskilling and horizontal shifts.
- Provides community space for user groups, and offers tours to educate on the data center industry.
- Hosts events to build relationships and educate on industry challenges and solutions.
- Advises those in IT career rut to retool, upskill, or shift horizontally to align with budget allocations.
- Suggests aligning with budget spend to gain an understanding of business and find better job functions.
Semiconductor industry job creation and power grid constraints.
- Advises job seekers to align with their personality type and soft skills to find their dream job.
- Industry expert predicts increased demand for workers with soft skills in semiconductor manufacturing and related fields.
- Highlights the influx of jobs in the semiconductor industry, including companies like TSMC and Intel, which are making multi-decade investments in the area.
- Believes that phoenixNAP will help shield some of the impact of the adaptation in the valley due to the growth in the city, with cities like Tempe experiencing a new skyline and investment from new companies.
- Data centers will need more power, leading to a resource allocation gap.
- Other metros have started allowing power generation, which is a big deal in the industry.
Evolving roles in the data center industry, including sales and marketing.
- Data centers are evolving to address power shortages, with gigawatt facilities becoming common.
- Product line affects sales role, from marketing to post-transaction support.
- Buyers in colocation space and power services are still structured, like real estate transactions.
Adapting sales strategies to incorporate AI and machine learning.
- Understand customer goals, and adapt to close deals
- Building trust through education, AI changes daily routine
- Discusses the early adoption of AI workflows in various industries, including financial services and healthcare.
- Highlights the maturation of AI infrastructure and software, with increased training and use of co-pilot tools.
AI adoption in the data center industry.
- Discusses the proliferation of AI technology in the industry, with a focus on hardware and software innovations.
- Recommends the "Acquired" podcast for those interested in learning about technology and entrepreneurship.
- Discusses phoenixNAP, an AI-powered platform
- Emphasizes the importance of human interaction in the AI-driven industry.
Guest Resources
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