2026 Program

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Data Center Operations: Balancing Operational Excellence, Automation, and the Need for Retrofits

Nov. 18, 2026
T7: KEYNOTE DATA CENTER
Operating a data center under constraints

Data center operations are evolving rapidly to address growing pressures regarding performance, energy efficiency, and resilience.

This roundtable explores the balance between hands-on operational practices and the rise of automation, without overlooking the very real challenges of maintaining and modernizing existing infrastructure. To what extent can we standardize and automate without losing control on the ground? Is retrofitting a strategic opportunity or an unavoidable constraint? A candid discussion to examine everyday practices, limitations, and trade-offs.

● Day-to-Day Operations: Hands-on approaches, a field-oriented culture, and the dissemination of best practices in the face of growing complexity
● Automation of Operations: Promises, Real Gains, and Areas of Risk
● Maintenance: From Preventive to Predictive—Balancing Costs, Availability, and Incident Management
● Retrofit: Modernizing Without Interruption, but Not Without Constraints
● Human vs. Machine: What Skills Do Operations Teams Need?

Moderator
Aurore Nicoli, Director of Development - DCS - CBRE
Speaker(s)
Jean Mazet, President - Cleansoft
Jean-Michel Choquet, Country Director of Sales & Service, France - REHLKO
Mathieu Boschage, Data Center Engineer - METALINE DATACENTER SERVICES