Notes From the Bleeding Edge of Data and Telecom
As a Global Key Account Manager at Henkel, one of the best perks of my job is travel. I visit various design sites, collaborating with engineers to understand their application needs and develop the right materials.
What continually impresses me on these trips is the level of innovation happening right now. Whether it’s a new approach, something being done differently, or a technology that may not be needed for a couple of years, change is happening everywhere - and quickly. The pace of innovation required to keep up is truly eye-opening.
Here are some exciting developments in the data and telecom industry that I’m seeing.
Growing Demand for Thermal Materials
Thermal management is a critical concern for mechanical and thermal design engineers. As our customers push the limits of what’s possible, the demand for better thermal solutions continues to grow. Our goal at Henkel is to help improve the overall thermal management of systems, from immersion cooling to the chip level.
Improving thin bond line materials and experimenting with different fillers are just some of the ways we address these challenges. We must align our material developments with our customers’ roadmaps, understanding power consumption trends over the next several years. This type of collaboration is key to finding the right solutions.
Above all, reliability is our priority. Materials need to perform reliably over the long term to avoid costly system failures, which could lead to premature replacements, increased waste and higher costs. Ensuring reliability is crucial to minimising these risks.
Debonding Technology in Data and Telecom
The debonding initiative in consumer electronics, particularly with debonding-on-demand adhesives, has great potential to expand into data and telecom hardware. These adhesives allow consumers to repair devices at home without damaging the rest of the product. For example, in the iPhone 16, consumers can replace the battery themselves.
This concept could be applied to data centres, which are built modularly to accommodate varying stages of their lifecycle. If debonding technology were adopted in data centres, aging components could be replaced without overhauling entire systems, reducing waste and costs.
As technology advances, this could provide a cost-effective way to upgrade parts of the system without incurring the full expense of an upgrade.
AI in the Data Centre
There’s growing talk of AI and the increased power demands it places on data centres. However, a less discussed aspect is how AI can improve data centre operations, particularly through the use of digital twins.
Contract manufacturers are using digital twins to model scenarios and optimize processes, such as improving usage rates and measuring sustainability. With more data available than ever before, experts are just beginning to explore how to leverage these insights for greater efficiency.
The potential for improvement is vast, but the question remains: how far can this technology take us?
Greater Cross-Industry Collaboration
One of the most exciting trends is the increasing willingness to share knowledge across industries. Initiatives like the Open Compute Project (OCP) are fostering collaboration, where organizations work together to enhance system performance for mutual benefit.
At Henkel, we also understand the importance of collaboration in driving innovation. As innovation cycles accelerate, we’ve built a strong data and telecom division with talented technical experts. We’ve embraced an agile mindset, enabling us to meet the evolving needs of our customers and deliver cutting-edge materials to help solve their most pressing challenges.
Tom Sicilian is a Global Key Account Manager in Henkel’s Datacom/Telecom group. With 14 years at Henkel, he has built a diverse career in engineering, business development, and sales. He started as a Senior Application Engineer in Henkel's Automotive and Electronics divisions, later transitioning into business development and sales roles within the Innovation and Electronic Materials divisions.
Tom holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University. Originally from Michigan, he now lives in Long Beach, CA, with his partner, Courtney, and their two dogs. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Tom enjoys rock climbing, trail running and gardening in his free time.
Disclosure: This article is an advertorial, and monetary payment was received from Henkel. It has passed Editorial’s assessment for being informative.
Explore the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter for the latest insights, trends and expert analysis.
Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand