Data Centre Operations: Optimising Infrastructure for Performance and Reliability

Macquarie, Dell bring AI factories to Australia

Australian data centre operator Macquarie Data Centres, part of Macquarie Technology Group, is collaborating with US multinational technology company Dell Technologies with the aim of providing a secure, sovereign home for AI workloads in Australia. Macquarie Data Centres will host the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA within its AI and cloud data centres. This approach seeks to power enterprise AI, private AI, and neo cloud projects while achieving high standards of data security within sovereign data centres. This development will be particularly relevant for critical infrastructure providers and highly regulated sectors such as healthcare, finance, education, and research, which have strict regulatory compliance conditions relating to data storage and processing. This collaboration hopes to give them the secure, compliant foundation needed to build, train, and deploy advanced AI applications in Australia, such as AI digital twins, agentic AI, and private LLMs. Answering the Government’s call for sovereign AI The Australian Government has linked the data centre sector to its 'Future Made in Australia' policy agenda. Data centres and AI also play an important role in the Australian Federal Government’s new push to improve Australia’s productivity. “For Australia's AI-driven future to be secure, we must ensure that Australian data centres play a core role in AI, data, infrastructure, and operations,” says David Hirst, CEO, Macquarie Data Centres. “Our collaboration with Dell Technologies delivers just that, the perfect marriage of global tech and sovereign infrastructure.” Sovereignty meets scalability Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA infrastructure and software will be supported by Macquarie Data Centres’ newest purpose-built AI and cloud data centre, IC3 Super West. The 47MW facility is, according to the company, "purpose-built for the scale, power, and cooling demands of AI infrastructure." It is to be ready in mid-2026 with the entire end-state power secured. “Our work with Macquarie Data Centres helps bring the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA vision to life in Australia,” comments Jamie Humphrey, General Manager, Australia & New Zealand Specialty Platforms Sales, Dell Technologies ANZ. “Together, we are enabling organisations to develop and deploy AI as a transformative and competitive advantage in Australia in a way that is secure, sovereign, and scalable.” Macquarie Technology Group and Dell Technologies have been collaborating for more than 15 years. For more from Macquarie Data Centres, click here.

Cloudera is bringing Private AI to data centres

Cloudera, a hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI, today announced the latest release of Cloudera Data Services, bringing Private AI on premises and aiming to give enterprises secure, GPU-accelerated generative AI capabilities behind their firewall. With built-in governance and hybrid portability, Cloudera says organisations can now build and scale their own sovereign data cloud in their own data centre, "eliminating security concerns." The company claims it is the only vendor that delivers the full data lifecycle with the same cloud-native services on premises and in the public cloud. Concerns about keeping sensitive data and intellectual property secure is a key factor in what holds back AI adoption for enterprises across industries. According to Accenture, 77% of organisations lack the foundational data and AI security practices needed to safeguard critical models, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure. Cloudera argues that it directly addresses the biggest security and intellectual property risks of enterprise AI, allowing customers to "accelerate their journey from prototype to production from months to weeks." Through this release, the company claims users could reduce infrastructure costs and streamline data lifecycles, boosting data team productivity, as well as accelerating workload deployment, enhancing security by automating complex tasks, and achieving faster time-to-value for AI deployment. As part of this release, both Cloudera AI Inference Service and AI Studios are now available in data centres. Both of these tools are designed to tackle the barriers to enterprise AI adoption and have previously been available in cloud only. Details of the products • Cloudera AI Inference services, accelerated by NVIDIA: The company says this is one of the industry’s first AI inference services to provide embedded NVIDIA NIM microservice capabilities and it is streamlining the deployment and management of large-scale AI models to data centres. It continues to suggest the engine helps deploy and manage the AI production lifecycle, right in the data centre, where data already securely resides. • Cloudera AI Studios: The company claims this offering democratises the entire AI application lifecycle, offering "low-code templates that empower teams to build and deploy GenAI applications and agents." Data and comments According to an independent Total Economic Impact (TEI) study - conducted by Forrester Consulting and commissioned by Cloudera - a composite organisation representative of interviewed customers who adopted Cloudera Data Services on premises saw: • An 80% faster time-to-value for workload deployment• A 20% increase in productivity for data practitioners and platform teams• Overall savings of 35% from the modern cloud-native architecture The study also highlighted operational efficiency gains, with some organisations improving hardware utilisation from 30% to 70% and reporting they needed between 25% to 50% less capacity after modernising. “Historically, enterprises have been forced to cobble together complex, fragile DIY solutions to run their AI on premises,” comments Sanjeev Mohan, an industry analyst. “Today, the urgency to adopt AI is undeniable, but so are the concerns around data security. What enterprises need are solutions that streamline AI adoption, boost productivity, and do so without compromising on security.” Leo Brunnick, Cloudera’s Chief Product Officer, claims, “Cloudera Data Services On-Premises delivers a true cloud-native experience, providing agility and efficiency without sacrificing security or control. “This release is a significant step forward in data modernisation, moving from monolithic clusters to a suite of agile, containerised applications.” Toto Prasetio, Chief Information Officer of BNI, states, "BNI is proud to be an early adopter of Cloudera’s AI Inference service. "This technology provides the essential infrastructure to securely and efficiently expand our generative AI initiatives, all while adhering to Indonesia's dynamic regulatory environment. "It marks a significant advancement in our mission to offer smarter, quicker, and more dependable digital banking solutions to the people of Indonesia." This product is being demonstrated at Cloudera’s annual series of data and AI conferences, EVOLVE25, starting this week in Singapore.

F5 and Equinix expand collaboration

US technology company F5 and Equinix, a US-based data centre and colocation provider, today announced an expansion of their partnership to support secure deployment of modern applications and AI workloads across hybrid multi-cloud environments. The collaboration integrates the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP) with Equinix’s Network Edge and Equinix Fabric with the intention of enabling global, virtualised deployment of application services without requiring physical infrastructure. The move is aimed at helping enterprises reduce the operational complexity and cost associated with managing distributed digital infrastructure, while supporting regulatory compliance and improved security. A key feature of the expanded offering is the availability of F5 Distributed Cloud Customer Edge as a virtual network function (VNF) on Equinix Network Edge. This should enable organisations to provision F5’s application delivery and security services across Equinix’s global infrastructure in near real-time, allowing for rapid scalability without physical hardware deployments. The system supports a range of AI-related use cases, including low-latency environments for inference and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), while also addressing concerns around data sovereignty and privacy. John Maddison, Chief Product and Corporate Marketing Officer at F5, comments, “AI is putting massive new demands on infrastructure, especially at the edge, where latency, security, and control are critical. "Enterprises need faster, more secure ways to deploy and connect applications and AI workloads globally without the complexity of managing physical infrastructure. Our expanded partnership with Equinix gives customers exactly that: a flexible, high-performance foundation to support AI-driven use cases and deliver exceptional digital experiences across any environment.” Key features of the offering • Support for distributed AI workloads – Enables secure, high-speed connections for AI use cases, including inference and RAG, while protecting sensitive data • Global deployment without physical infrastructure – Allows enterprises to launch application services in new locations using virtual functions, reducing time to market and capital expenditure • Improved agility and responsiveness – Provides the ability to scale and adapt infrastructure to changing demands across multiple environments • Unified policy enforcement – Supports consistent application of security and compliance policies across different regions and jurisdictions The integration also provides F5 customers with access to Equinix’s global interconnection ecosystem, including low-latency links to major cloud providers, while Equinix users can now deploy F5 services directly through the Network Edge platform. Existing purchasing agreements can be used by customers of either company to access the joint system. Maryam Zand, Vice President of Partnerships and Ecosystem Development at Equinix, says, “Organisations are racing to adopt AI, but legacy infrastructure can slow them down or expose them to unnecessary risk. "By partnering with F5, we’re giving our customers a seamless way to scale their AI applications and modern distributed workloads with built-in security, compliance, and performance. This solution can help businesses innovate faster, safeguard their operations, and maintain a competitive edge.”

Report: 'UK risks losing billions in AI investment'

According to a new report published today from trade association TechUK, the Data Centre Alliance, Copper Consultancy, and law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, the UK risks losing out on billions in AI investment if it doesn’t take clear steps to unlock data centre development. The report, How to Make the UK an AI Leader, brings together reflections from some of the biggest data centre developers - as well as planners and construction, engineering, and legal professions - at a recent industry roundtable organised by Copper and Charles Russell Speechlys. The roundtable, and subsequent report, lay bare the challenges facing data centre development in the UK, and the impacts this could have on investment into UK plc. Key regulatory barriers – such as energy availability, energy cost, and planning complexity – were identified alongside low public awareness as the main issues hobbling development of data centres in the UK. Luisa Cardani, Head of Data Centre Programme at TechUK, says, “The insights in this report echo what TechUK and the sector have been advocating for a long time: the UK has the talent, the ambition, and the capability to lead in AI and digital infrastructure, but leadership is not guaranteed. It requires bold decisions, cross-sector collaboration, and a shared national vision.” Steve Hone, CEO at Data Centre Alliance, adds, “As [a] trade association representing the UK data centre digital sector, we were delighted to be invited to collaborate in the recent roundtable which has culminated in the creation of this report. "This timely report is an important contribution to the debate and hopefully will act as a catalyst for the action needed to ensure the UK’s digital infrastructure remains world leading.” The report notes how high energy prices are currently hindering the UK's global competitiveness in data centres and AI - actively dissuading investment in the UK. Given the resource-intensive nature of data centres, the report suggests that the industry needs the Government to intervene through targeted subsidies, reducing costs to match energy costs in rival regions like the US and Nordics. Concerns have also been raised with 'AI Growth Zones' being seen as a "silver bullet for the industry." Whilst, according to the report, the industry welcomes government support, the current planning framework is seen as "overly rigid" and "risks misalignment with actual demand and repeating past planning mistakes like Slough's unplanned growth." As a response, a new planning use class could allow for flexible, demand-led planning, which would be especially important in the fast-moving AI industry. Finally, public perception is seen as a critical non-regulatory issue for the sector to tackle, with half the UK’ s population not knowing what a data centre is. Such low awareness leaves the public open to misinformation and a fundamental lack of understanding as to why data centres are critical to a future economy. The report calls on the industry to engage more proactively on the needs case for data centres with the public, supported by the Government outlining why their development is critical to growth. Ronan Cloud, Director at Copper Consultancy, argues, “While Grey Belt reforms are beneficial, considerable planning inertia remains. Government should create a dedicated planning use class for data centres at once, distinct from broader industrial uses. "This tailored classification would increase planning approvals and accommodate future technological developments.” Kevin Gibbs, Senior Consultant at Charles Russell Speechlys, comments, “Whilst the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan commits £2 billion to AI Growth Zones to accelerate infrastructure delivery, there is much more that both the industry and Government can, and should, be doing. "To truly become an AI leader and unlock economic growth, the UK needs to make a clear and compelling case for data centres. It needs to act now to alleviate some of the barriers.”

Kioxia announces 245.76TB SSD for enterprise AI

Memory manufacturer Kioxia Europe has expanded its LC9 Series of enterprise solid-state drives (SSDs) with the launch of a 245.76TB model, available in both 2.5-inch and Enterprise and Datacentre Standard Form Factor (EDSFF) E3.L formats. According to the company, it is the first NVMe SSD of this capacity to be offered in these form factors. The new model adds to the previously announced 122.88TB SSD and is aimed at enterprise environments, particularly those handling generative AI workloads. These workloads require large-scale, high-speed storage with high energy efficiency to support training large language models (LLMs), creating embeddings and building vector databases used in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). The LC9 Series is based on a 32-die stack of 2Tb BiCS FLASH QLC 3D flash memory, using Kioxia’s CBA (CMOS directly bonded to array) technology. This combination enables 8TB in a compact 154-ball grid array (BGA) package. The design leverages advancements in wafer processing, materials science, and wire bonding. The new drives are intended for use in data lakes and other large-scale data environments where high performance and storage density are essential. In such use cases, traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) can limit throughput and underutilise GPUs. By comparison, Kioxia says that each LC9 drive can deliver up to 245.76TB while reducing the need for multiple HDDs, lowering power consumption, improving cooling efficiency, and ultimately reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). Key specifications of the LC9 Series SSDs include: • Capacity up to 245.76TB in 2.5-inch and E3.L form factors • 122.88TB models also available in 2.5-inch and E3.S form factors • Designed to PCIe 5.0 (up to 128GT/s Gen5 single x4 or dual x2), NVMe 2.0, and NVMe-MI 1.2c specifications • Support for the Open Compute Project (OCP) Datacentre NVMe SSD specification v2.5 (partial compliance) • Flexible Data Placement (FDP) support to reduce write amplification and extend drive lifespan • Security options including SIE, SED, and FIPS SED • CNSA 2.0 signing algorithm, intended for future quantum security standards “We continue to drive innovation with the new Kioxia LC9 Series, providing cutting-edge technology that enables our data centre and hyperscaler customers to stay ahead,” claims Paul Rowan, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Kioxia Europe. “The 32-die stack of 2Tb BiCS FLASH QLC 3D flash memory, coupled with our innovative CBA technology and the E3.L form factor within the LC9 Series SSDs, address their unique requirements of generative AI applications for speed, scale, and efficiency.” The LC9 Series SSDs are currently sampling to select customers and will be showcased at the Future of Memory and Storage 2025 conference, taking place from 5 to 7 August in Santa Clara, USA. For more from Kioxia, click here.

Cybersecurity teams pushing back against AI hype

Despite industry hype and pressure from business leaders to accelerate adoption, cybersecurity teams are reportedly taking a cautious approach to artificial intelligence (AI). This is according to a new survey from ISC2, a non-profit organisation that provides cybersecurity training and certifications. While AI is widely promoted as a game-changer for security operations, only a small proportion of practitioners have integrated these tools into their daily workflows, with many remaining hesitant due to concerns over privacy, oversight, and unintended risks. Many CISOs remain cautious about AI adoption, citing concerns around privacy, oversight, and the risks of moving too quickly. A recent survey of over 1,000 cybersecurity professionals found that just 30% of cybersecurity teams are currently using AI tools in their daily operations, while 42% are still evaluating their options. Only 10% said they have no plans to adopt AI at all. Adoption is most advanced in industrial sectors (38%), IT services (36%), and professional services (34%). Larger organisations with more than 10,000 employees are further ahead on the adoption curve, with 37% actively using AI tools. In contrast, smaller businesses - particularly those with fewer than 99 staff or between 500 and 2,499 employees - show the lowest uptake, with only 20% using AI. Among the smallest organisations, 23% say they have no plans to evaluate AI security tools at all. Andy Ward, SVP International at Absolute Security, comments, “The ISC2 research echoes what we’re hearing from CISOs globally. There’s real enthusiasm for the potential of AI in cybersecurity, but also a growing recognition that the risks are escalating just as fast. "Our research shows that over a third (34%) of CISOs have already banned certain AI tools like DeepSeek entirely, driven by fears of privacy breaches and loss of control. "AI offers huge promise to improve detection, speed up response times, and strengthen defences, but without robust strategies for cyber resilience and real-time visibility, organisations risk sleepwalking into deeper vulnerabilities. "As attackers leverage AI to reduce the gap between vulnerability and exploitation, our defences must evolve with equal urgency. Now is the time for security leaders to ensure their people, processes, and technologies are aligned, or risk being left dangerously exposed.” Arkadiy Ukolov, Co-Founder and CEO at Ulla Technology, adds, “It’s no surprise to see security professionals taking a measured, cautious approach to AI. While these tools bring undeniable efficiencies, privacy and control over sensitive data must come first. "Too many AI solutions today operate in ways that risk exposing confidential information through third-party platforms or unsecured systems. "For AI to be truly fit for purpose in cybersecurity, it must be built on privacy-first foundations, where data remains under the user’s control and is processed securely within an enclosed environment. Protecting sensitive information demands more than advanced tech alone, it requires ongoing staff awareness, training on AI use, and a robust infrastructure that doesn’t compromise security." Despite this caution, where AI has been implemented, the benefits are clear. 70% of those already using AI tools report positive impacts on their cybersecurity team’s overall effectiveness. Key areas of improvement include network monitoring and intrusion detection (60%), endpoint protection and response (56%), vulnerability management (50%), threat modelling (45%), and security testing (43%). Looking ahead, AI adoption is expected to have a mixed impact on hiring. Over half of cybersecurity professionals believe AI will reduce the need for entry-level roles by automating repetitive tasks. However, 31% anticipate that AI will create new opportunities for junior talent or demand new skill sets, helping to rebalance some of the projected reductions in headcount. Encouragingly, 44% said their hiring plans have not yet been affected, though the same proportion report that their organisations are actively reconsidering the skills and roles required to manage AI technologies.

Duos Edge AI to deploy edge data centres in Corpus Christi

Duos Technologies Group, through its operating subsidiary Duos Edge AI, a provider of edge data centre (EDC) solutions, has just announced the upcoming deployment of two new EDCs in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. Scheduled to be delivered at the end of July 2025, the Corpus Christi EDCs will serve as central communications hubs for carriers delivering services to mobile operators, enterprises, local education, healthcare, and digital economy sectors while driving growth across the local market. In line with Duos Edge AI’s strategy to expand digital infrastructure in underserved and high-growth markets, with carrier integration and uninterrupted service, the initiative aims to remove key hurdles to edge connectivity while accelerating service readiness for regional partners. “Our Corpus Christi project highlights the speed, precision, and value of our Edge AI model,” claims Doug Recker, President and Founder of Duos Edge AI. “We’re delivering high-availability, localised computing power that enables fibre and network providers to scale efficiently and meet increasing demand at the edge. "We are bringing a state-of-the-art EDC solution to Corpus Christi to enable the major communications carriers to have an even more robust solution to the Corpus Christi market.” The Corpus Christi deployment is part of Duos Edge AI’s 2025 plan to deploy 15 EDCs nationwide across the US, incorporating modular design, rapid deployment, and a focus on bridging the digital divide. For more from Duos Edge AI, click here.

Macquarie and CareSuper join forces

Macquarie Cloud Services, an Australian cloud services provider for business and government and part of Macquarie Technology Group, has been appointed by CareSuper to lead a major cloud transformation program, marking a high-profile shift away from VMware Cloud on AWS and towards a more modern Azure environment. The agreement is seeing Macquarie Cloud migrate and recalibrate CareSuper’s VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC) environment – made up of hundreds of applications and petabytes of data – into a Managed Edge Azure Local offering. “Our goal is to optimise every part of our operation so we can deliver long-term value to our members,” states Simon Reiter, Chief Technology Officer at CareSuper. “Cloud decisions must serve that mission – not just today, but five years from now. Macquarie Cloud Services stood out as a partner who could deliver both the technical transformation and the ongoing managed service maturity required.” Macquarie’s Azure-led approach consolidates CareSuper’s Technology estate into a unified platform. The engagement includes migrating workloads from VMware Cloud on AWS into a new Azure landing zone, modernising databases and implementing platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offerings with the aim to streamline performance and efficiencies for the fund. “We’re seeing a wave of repatriation from AWS,” comments Naran McClung, Head of Azure at Macquarie Cloud Services. “For many organisations, rising costs and architectural limitations have made them re-evaluate. But it’s not just about moving away, it’s about moving forward. That’s where our team adds value.” Macquarie has assumed the risk of the migration project, delivering the transformation with zero upfront cost to CareSuper and full accountability for outcomes. “What we’ve found in partnering with Macquarie Cloud Services is a team of experts who can transform, refactor, migrate, and ensure we get the best operational value from our cloud environment. That the company backs itself by taking on the cost risk of the migration phase is telling of its capabilities and commitment to putting customers first,” continues Simon. Four years as an Azure Expert MSP Macquarie Cloud Services is one of only a handful of partners across Asia Pacific to retain its Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP) status for four consecutive years. “We’ve seen our Azure team and business expand by about 20% every year since we set it up in 2020,” claims Naran. “Becoming an Azure Expert MSP is not a lifetime achievement, it takes incredible dedication, assessments requiring dozens of the team to come together, and – most importantly – an ability to deliver value to customers time and time again.” For more from Macquarie, click here.

Siemens enters collaboration with Microsoft

Siemens Smart Infrastructure, a digital infrastructure division of German conglomerate Siemens, today announced a collaboration agreement with Microsoft to transform access to Internet of Things (IoT) data for buildings. The collaboration will enable interoperability between Siemens' digital building platform Building X and Microsoft Azure IoT Operations, a component of this adaptive cloud approach, providing tools and infrastructure to connect edge devices while integrating data. The interoperability of Building X and Azure IoT Operations seeks to make IoT-based data more accessible for large enterprise customers across commercial buildings, data centres, and higher education facilities, and provide them with the information to enhance sustainability and operations. It enables automatic onboarding and monitoring by bringing datapoints such as temperature, pressure, or indoor air quality to the cloud for assets like heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, valves, and actuators. The system should also allow customers to develop their own in-house use cases such as energy monitoring and space optimisation. The collaboration leverages known and established open industry standards, including World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web of Things (WoT), describing the metadata and interfaces of hardware and software, as well as Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) for communication of data to the cloud. Both Siemens and Microsoft are members of the W3C and the OPC Foundation, which develops standards and guidelines that help build an industry based on accessibility, interoperability, privacy, and security. “This collaboration with Microsoft reflects our shared vision of enabling customers to harness the full potential of IoT through open standards and interoperability,” claims Susanne Seitz, CEO, Siemens Smart Infrastructure Buildings. “The improved data access will provide portfolio managers with granular visibility into critical metrics such as energy efficiency and consumption. With IoT data often being siloed, this level of transparency is a game-changer for an industry seeking to optimise building operations and meet sustainability targets.” “Siemens shares Microsoft’s focus on interoperability and open IoT standards. This collaboration is a significant step forward in making IoT data more actionable,” argues Erich Barnstedt, Senior Director & Architect, Corporate Standards Group, Microsoft. “Microsoft’s strategy underscores our commitment to partnering with industry leaders to empower customers with greater choice and control over their IoT solutions.” The interoperability between Siemens’ Building X and Azure IoT Operations will be available on the market from the second half of 2025. For more from Siemens, click here.

Industry analysts urge data trust over AI hype

As organisations continue to increasingly embrace AI to unlock new operations, industry analysts - at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in Sydney - urged a critical reminder that without trustworthy data, even the most advanced AI systems can lead businesses astray. Amid rising interest in generative AI and autonomous agents, business leaders are being reminded that flashy AI capabilities are meaningless if built on unreliable data. According to information technology research and advisory company Gartner's 2024 survey, data quality and availability remain the biggest barriers to effective AI implementation. If the foundation is flawed, so is the intelligence built on top of it. While achieving perfect data governance is an admirable goal, it's often impractical in fast-moving business environments. Instead, analysts recommend implementing "trust models" that assess the reliability of data based on its origin, lineage, and level of curation. These models enable more nuanced, risk-aware decision-making and can prevent the misuse of data without stalling innovation. Richard Bovey, Chief for Data at AND Digital, comments, "Trust in data isn't just a technical challenge, it's deeply cultural and organisational. While advanced tools and trust models can help address the reliability of data, true confidence in data quality comes from clear ownership, clear practices, and company-wide commitment to transparency. "Too often, organisations are rushing into AI initiatives without fixing the basics. According to our research, 56% of businesses are implementing AI despite knowing their data may not be accurate in order to prevent from falling behind their competitors. "Businesses must consider taking a data and AI approach to their technical operations to build trust, cross-functional collaboration, and ongoing education. Only then can AI initiatives truly succeed." At the summit, autonomy was a central theme. AI systems may act independently in low-risk or time-sensitive situations, but full autonomy still raises concerns as, while users accept AI advice, they're still adjusting to autonomous AI decision-making. Stuart Harvey, CEO of Datactics, argues, "One of the biggest misconceptions we see is the belief that AI performance is purely a function of the model itself, when in reality, it all starts with data. Without well-governed, high-quality data, even the most sophisticated AI systems will produce inconsistent or misleading results. "Organisations often underestimate the foundational role of data management, but these aren't back-office tasks, they're strategic enablers of trustworthy AI and those businesses that rush into AI without addressing fragmented or unverified data sources put themselves at significant risk. Strong data foundations aren't just nice to have in today's technical landscape, they're essential for reliable, ethical, and scalable AI adoption." Gartner predicts that by 2027, 20% of business processes will be fully managed by autonomous analytics and these "perceptive" systems will move beyond dashboards, offering proactive, embedded insights. The company also believes that by 2030, AI agents will replace 30% of SaaS interfaces, turning apps into intelligent data platforms. To thrive, data leaders should thus prioritise trust, influence, and organisational impact, or risk being sidelined. For more from Gartner, click here.