For a number of years, the event was hosted in Monaco before moving to Cannes, showcasing a clear sign of the event’s growing size and importance.
Last year alone, it welcomed over 3,200 industry leaders from around the globe, with 150+ speakers sharing insights on everything from AI to sustainability.
Datacloud managing director, Annabel Helm, says: “As we celebrate 20 years of Datacloud Global Congress, it is amazing to witness how much change has occurred, not just for the event, but for the entire industry it represents.
“What began as a small gathering for passionate minds in the data centre and cloud world has now blossomed into the major global digital infrastructure event, bringing together thousands of true digital infrastructure decision-makers from all corners of the tech world.”
Helm adds: “Over the years, we’ve watched the industry transform in ways we couldn’t have imagined two decades ago, from the early days of cloud computing to the explosion of computers, and now AI.
“Datacloud Global Congress has been there every step of the way, helping to shape the conversation and spark innovation.
In 2005, the industry was still figuring out how to move from physical servers to virtual ones. Cloud computing was just starting, and most businesses were still running their on-site servers and heavily investing in managing their IT ecosystems.
At the time, data centres were largely focused on physical space, uptime and power redundancy, with main concerns being things like generator backup, server stacking and cooling systems.
Meanwhile, security was basic, using firewalls and simple defences with ideas like automation and edge computing still far off. At the time, sustainability was rarely a topic of conversation, diesel generators were the norm, and carbon impact wasn’t yet a priority.
Fast forward to 2025, and the industry has transformed, with data centres evolving into smart, AI-driven facilities designed for maximum energy efficiency.
The cloud is now the default platform for running applications, storing data and scaling businesses, alongside security shifting to a zero-trust framework, tapping AI to detect and prevent threats in real-time.
Additionally, sustainability is now front and centre with companies aiming to be carbon-neutral in the near future.
There’s also been a major cultural shift: once a niche field, digital infrastructure now attracts global investment and talent, with diversity, equity, and inclusion becoming key values.
Finally, the conversation has moved from ‘How do we build it?’ to ‘How do we build it responsibly, globally, and sustainably?’
Datacloud Global Congress has always been a place where the big challenges are discussed.
In recent years, those have included energy consumption, AI’s growing demand on infrastructure and the need for fresh talent in a fast-growing industry.
At last year’s event, one major topic was the hunt for talent across the sector, with the ratio of demand for data centre and cloud services outnumbering the number of trained people in the field.
As a result, this shortage could slow down important projects and make it harder for the industry to grow.
Another challenge is knowing what skills to focus on, especially with new technology like AI changing the way we work. It’s not always clear what jobs will be needed in the future or how to train people for them.
That’s why Datacloud invited 30 young professionals to attend the 2024 Congress for free. They joined special workshops to help them learn and build their careers in the industry.
As Datacloud Global Congress marks 20 years, it’s clear that this event has grown with the industry and helped shape it.
In 2025, topics like data sovereignty, hybrid networking and AI inference are already on the agenda.
But, the core goal remains the same: bringing people together to solve problems, share ideas and build the future of digital infrastructure.
Helm concludes: “We are a proud part of this critical ecosystem, we don’t shy away from the hard questions or conversations be they access to power, tariffs or demand volatility, whether it is 2005 or 2025, Datacloud Global Congress is where deals get done and the industry’s strategic trajectory is defined.”
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