According to the organisers of the "New Zealand Aotearoa Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2023", the Kiwi digital frontier is expanding at a remarkable pace. Since its inaugural event last year, the convention has observed the rapid growth of the data centre industry, marked by the completion of key facilities and a surge in investments from global players into NZ.

As the industry burgeons, Arizton's research has projected the market to amass investments of NZD $2.9 billion by 2028, reflecting a CAGR of 9.23% from 2022 to 2028. New Zealand's unique blend of sustainable energy expertise, enhanced national and international networks, and a commitment to balancing commercial growth with environmental and social considerations makes it a hotspot for global tech interests.

The 2023 convention, hosted in Auckland, will delve deep into the ongoing role of both local and international data centres and cloud industries in advancing New Zealand's digital transformation. The event promises insights into evolving infrastructure options like colocation, cloud, on-premises, and edge solutions tailored to meet local digital demands.

With a packed agenda, the convention kicks off with a welcoming Powhiri ceremony, followed by a series of keynote addresses from esteemed professionals.

The two key speakers are Nabeel Mahmood and Bill Kleyman. Both of them bring a wealth of experience and unique perspectives to the event.

Nabeel Mahmood:

• Background: Nabeel has vast and diverse experience in the data centre, technology, application stacks, and security sectors. His journey into technology began serendipitously after a conversation with innovators at Berkeley, leading him to fall in love with the culture of innovation.
• Professional Experience: Nabeel's impressive resume includes building and operating data centres spanning over 1.5 million square feet and fully automated manufacturing facilities. Notably, he also built a railroad. He currently sits on the board of a telephony company that acts as the backhaul carrier for major platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams in 182 countries.
• Upcoming Talk: Nabeel's session at the convention is titled "To sustainability and beyond". He emphasizes that while the data centre industry has embarked on the sustainability journey, there's still a lot to be done. He believes the industry needs to rethink its sustainability model, considering the increasing demands for data and its corresponding energy usage. Nabeel also hints at exploring innovative energy sources, including the controversial idea of small nuclear reactors.

Bill Kleyman:

• Background: Bill has had an illustrious career in the data centre industry, with significant roles at Switch, MTM Technologies, and currently at Neu.ro Inc. He has been deeply involved in AI, ML, and Generative AI development.
• Professional Experience: Bill's commitment to the industry is evident from his association with organizations like the Infrastructure Masons, AFCOM, and the Nomad Futurists. Unlike many, he has been dedicated to the data centre sector from a young age, marking him as a native of the industry.
• Upcoming Talk: Bill's keynote will revolve around the transformative impact of AI on data centres. He believes every data center will soon become an AI data centre and emphasizes the urgent need for data centres to adapt to this change. He sees the rapid evolution of AI as a unique challenge for data centres, especially in terms of power and infrastructure demands. Bill suggests that secondary markets, like Australia and New Zealand, could play a pivotal role in the future of data centre development due to their potential cost advantages.

Sustainability remains at the convention's forefront, with sessions like "Guide to Sustainable Data Centre Design: Balancing Speed and Scale Responsibly" offering a glimpse into the future of green data centres. Discussions will not only focus on the evolving relationship between cloud and data centres but also explore the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, connectivity, and the growing demand for low-latency, high-speed networks.

The convention promises to be a melting pot of ideas and innovations, with panel discussions like "How will digital technologies shape the New Zealand data centre of the future?" and "Are New Zealand data centers ready for the Era of Connectivity?" set to spark engaging debates among industry leaders.

With speakers from Neu.ro, Vertiv, Spark NZ, Rittal ANZ, and many more, attendees are guaranteed a deep dive into the latest trends, challenges, and future prospects of the data centre industry.

The New Zealand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2023 is being held on 2nd November in Auckland.