NEWS
AI boom exposes data centre confidence crisis, Fluke research warns
As Artificial Intelligence( AI) demand accelerates, new research from Fluke Corporation reveals a growing confidence crisis among data centre professionals, raising concerns about the sector’ s ability to scale reliably.
A survey of more than 150 data centre professionals, conducted at Data Centre World London 2026, found that only 22 % fully trust that their test and measurement data reflects real-world operating conditions. Confidence drops further under pressure,
with just 19 % expressing full trust in data accuracy during peak load or failure scenarios.
Several factors are driving this lack of confidence in infrastructure data. Skills and training gaps were cited as the biggest barrier( 43 %), followed by time pressures during commissioning( 16 %), inconsistent testing processes( 11 %) and budget constraints( 10 %).
The operational impact is already being felt. Half of respondents reported experiencing unplanned outages or major performance disruptions at least annually, with nearly one in five experiencing disruptions as frequently as monthly( 10 %) or weekly( 8 %).
Outdated testing equipment is compounding the issue, with nearly two-thirds( 65 %) saying legacy tools increase the risk of downtime and compliance failures within their organisation.
The research exposes a widening gap between intent and execution. While almost all respondents agree that regular maintenance is critical to reducing downtime, only 28 % have realtime or predictive monitoring in place across critical infrastructure such as power, cooling and networks. One fifth admit maintenance is conducted quarterly at most.
Companies are sitting on talent they can’ t see or unlock, TalentLMS finds
TalentLMS, a leading employee training platform, has released its Skills Visibility Report, revealing a critical shift in workforce challenges. While organisations have long focused on closing skill shortages, many now face a skills visibility gap: the inability to identify and mobilise the talent they already have – turning the problem from missing talent into invisible talent. In fact, only 12 % of respondents say their organisation does not face skills visibility issues.
Based on a survey of 536 US employees and 964 managers, the report highlights three critical gaps:
• Perception gap: 90 % of managers say they have a good understanding of their direct reports’ skills, compared with 69 % of employees who say their manager has a good understanding of their skills.
• Development gap: 90 % of managers say they support their direct reports in developing new skills, while only 60 % of employees say they receive that support from their manager.
• Utilisation gap: 75 % of managers say their team’ s skills are fully utilised, while 49 % of employees say their company underutilises their skills.
“ The gap isn’ t skills – it’ s visibility into them,” said Dimitris Tsingos, CEO of Epignosis, parent company of TalentLMS.“ Companies are rich in talent but poor in insight. Organisations need a clear view not just of employees’ existing skills but also of their foundational knowledge, which is becoming increasingly important in the age of AI. Those that build that clarity gain speed, make smarter decisions and unlock the full value of their workforce.” x
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