The Data Center Rundown
Today's top stories in Data Center

The Data Center Rundown

Oct 20, 2026

 
Power grid connection delays

Microsoft has canceled plans for a UK artificial intelligence supercomputer in Essex due to delays in securing adequate power connections, potentially impacting the nation's AI ambitions.

Read at The Register→

 

Should Microsoft's UK AI supercomputer cancellation be a wake-up call for national power grid infrastructure?

Nscale lost a significant Microsoft deal due to power delivery delays, underscoring the financial dangers of grid connection schedules impacting data center project timelines and customer capacity needs.

Read at Data Center Knowledge→

 

Anthropic and Nscale are reportedly in discussions for a second compute agreement valued at $45 billion, following a previous deal in August 2026.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

 

Should companies prioritize securing compute power even at massive financial commitments like Anthropic's $45bn deal?

 
Infrastructure and hardware investment

AI chip startup Tenstorrent secured $1.5 billion in funding at a $6.2 billion valuation to support the development of its Galaxy server line.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

AI cloud startup Modal secured $750 million in its Series D funding round, signaling significant investment in the evolving cloud infrastructure sector.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

Pasadena-based Oratomic has raised $775 million for its fault-tolerant quantum computer development, emerging from stealth in March 2026.

Read at Data Center Dynamics→

 
AI-driven cybersecurity threats

Security patches are now vulnerable due to attackers leveraging artificial intelligence, with Terra reporting a significant increase in GitHub security fixes found to be broken within 90 days.

Read at The Register→

 

Are current security patches adequate against AI-powered exploits?

KillSwitch is a new programming language designed to create bot-resistant code by confusing large language models with complex language and structure.

Read at The Register→

A critical Broadcom Wi-Fi bug, known since 2018, potentially allows unauthorized access to millions of routers, despite the chip giant's alleged knowledge.

Read at The Register→

 

Should consumers demand more transparency on Wi-Fi chip security vulnerabilities?

 
Renewable energy procurement strategies

AEP and Google's significant data center projects, alongside Solaria's Uruguay pact, highlight power procurement strategies, with Bloom supplying fuel cells for a Basalt-owned build.

Read at Global Data Center Hub→

 
Evolving infrastructure design strategies

Artificial intelligence infrastructure growth is challenging traditional data center development approaches, requiring new strategies for power, cooling, and space to meet demand.

Read at Data Center POST→

Data center solutions are increasingly customized rather than standardized, driven by evolving demands for specialized infrastructure and tailored services.

Read at Data Center POST→

 
Chatter
The view from Reddit
“CrowdStrike portal doesn't have a option to add others in cc...”

A user expresses extreme frustration with CrowdStrike's support portal for lacking a simple CC functionality, forcing manual email forwarding for team collaboration and criticizing the platform's iconography.

Read at r/sysadmin→

“You might be more qualified for a Google data center job than you think.”

An individual who transitioned from the automotive industry to a Google data center role shares that diverse backgrounds in electrical, mechanical, HVAC, and troubleshooting are highly valuable for these positions.

Read at r/datacenter→

“Is anyone else having recurring problems upgrading on-premises, containerized BMC Helix ITSM?”

An organization running containerized BMC Helix ITSM is experiencing persistent issues and pipeline failures with every upgrade, forcing them to develop custom workarounds to avoid lengthy rollbacks and data reconciliation.

Read at r/sysadmin→

 

5C Data Centers is expanding its Memphis AI factory by adding 64 MW of power using fuel cells, while the city considers new data center development restrictions.

Read at Data Center Frontier  →

 

The OCP 2026 Expo floor showcased advanced data center technology, featuring Arm-powered megaRacks, Google's Ironwood TPUs, and extensive liquid cooling solutions.

Read at Data Center Richness→

 

Brazil's data center growth is expanding beyond São Paulo to cities like Rio and Fortaleza, but power grid availability and permitting timelines will determine market success.

Read at Data Center Knowledge→

 

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