Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

AI is reshaping the cost landscape. As a positive person, I’m going to call this change exciting! FinOps teams are integrating AI into cloud platforms and incurring the spend that comes with it. As a FinOps strategist who has helped several companies optimize cloud spend across industries, it became evident that clarity around AI spend unlocks swift, smart decisions. That’s AI … optimized.

When you’re planning your IT strategy, deciding between cloud computing and colocation services isn’t always simple. Each option comes with its strengths and potential pitfalls. And with tech at the heart of most modern operations, knowing where to house your data and infrastructure is a big decision, and one that could shape your business's future. So, which one is best for your business: cloud computing vs colocation?

Every business builds strong defences to keep attackers out. Firewalls and DDoS protection serve that purpose, standing guard over company apps and websites, like knights at the castle gate keeping out trolls (not just the ones on X). But here’s the problem: those defences only work if users actually walk through the front gate. Sometimes, people find hidden paths or side doors around your walls, so the guards never see them enter.

Data centre energy use has become a critical factor in business infrastructure strategy. Once a background cost, it now plays a direct role in decisions about operational resilience, sustainability reporting, and future capacity planning. The scale of consumption is hard to ignore. Even smaller facilities can draw between 1 and 5 MW of continuous power, enough to supply thousands of homes. Larger hyperscale environments consume significantly more, 20 MW to over 100 MW of power.

The demands placed on digital infrastructure have changed. Businesses are adding locations, connecting to cloud platforms, or responding to changing compliance requirements. Rigid network contracts and fixed provider models no longer make operational sense. Carrier neutral data centres offer a different approach. By enabling provider choice, flexible routing, and integration on your terms, they give infrastructure teams more control, and more room to move.

Security expectations around data centres have changes, and it’s no longer enough to secure the perimeter or roll out a firewall policy. Today’s infrastructure relies on interconnected systems, from APIs and cloud endpoints to HVAC controls and building access tools, all of which can be targeted, misconfigured, or exploited.

AI adoption continues to explode, and so do their costs. By mid-2025, enterprise LLM spend had already hit $8.4 billion, more than double the year before. And in a major shift, Anthropic recently overtook OpenAI as the enterprise leader. Their Claude models are now core tools for companies adding generative AI technology into their products and workflows. CloudZero recently announced we are the first cloud cost platform to integrate with Anthropic.