TECH & AI
Data centre operators building for the AI boom are running into a maintenance problem. The issue predates AI itself but is now being magnified by it. A new IDC white paper, backed by Schneider Electric and titled‘ The Self-Aware Datacenter: How Condition-Based Maintenance Turns Fragmented Multivendor Datacenters into Predictable Infrastructure and System Intelligence’, argues that the fixed-interval servicing regimes which have underpinned facilities management for decades are buckling under gigawattscale demand, multivendor sprawl and a widening skills gap.
The research sets out why calendarbased maintenance is, in the paper ' s own words, " no longer fit for purpose ", and makes the case for conditionbased maintenance( CBM) delivered as a managed service rather than a bolt-on software product.
" As data centres and AI factories become increasingly complex, operators face growing pressure to maintain performance, resilience and efficiency, often amid a shortage of skilled talent. This is where AI is becoming a critical enabler,” says Jerome Soltani, Global Head of Services at Schneider Electric.
“ With the wealth of data generated through OT / IT convergence and intelligent connected equipment, AI-powered management systems are helping owners and operators move beyond traditional break-fix maintenance toward conditionbased maintenance( CBM).
82 August 2026