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Data Center Colocation: Decision-Makers’ Insights and Strategic Priorities, 2026–2027

Publisher Frost & Sullivan
Published Feb 26, 2026
Length 63 Pages
SKU # MC20921776

Description

Frost & Sullivan’s annual survey of IT and business decision-makers, now in its 16th year, examines evolving perceptions, investment priorities, and purchasing behaviors related to digital infrastructure. The study explores how organizations align technology adoption with business objectives amid rapid technological change.

This research presents comprehensive insights into the data center colocation market, including infrastructure choices for application deployment; key drivers for adopting colocation services; criteria for selecting service providers; current IT load capacity (end of 2025); projected capacity requirements (2026–2027); the status of AI solution deployment; and workloads requiring edge data centers and low-latency performance. Findings are segmented by region, industry, and company size to reveal distinct market dynamics.

Survey results indicate that artificial intelligence has surpassed cloud computing as the primary driver of digital transformation. Consequently, organizations are accelerating infrastructure investments to support AI initiatives aligned with strategic objectives, including revenue growth, enhanced customer experience, and operational efficiency.

Overall, this study provides actionable insights for data center colocation providers, IT vendors, cloud service providers, and enterprise leaders on emerging trends and future opportunities in the colocation market.

Table of Contents

63 Pages
    • Respondent Profile
    • Revenue Growth and CX Improvement are the Top Priorities
    • Type of Infrastructure to Run Applications
    • Key Reasons for Choosing Colocation Facility Deployment
    • Key Reasons for Choosing On-Premises Deployment
    • Key Reasons for Choosing Public Cloud Deployment
    • Key Reasons for Choosing Edge Location Deployment
    • Criteria When Choosing a Colocation Service Provider
    • Current IT Load Capacity
    • Current State of AI Solutions Deployment
    • Workloads that Require Edge Data Center and Latency Requirements
    • Type of Infrastructure to Run Applications Used Today by Sector
    • Key Reasons for Choosing Colocation Facility Deployment by Sector
    • Key Criteria When Choosing a Colocation Service Provider by Sector
    • Current IT Load Capacity by Sector
    • Expected Increase in IT Load Capacity by Sector
    • Current State of AI Solutions Deployment by Sector
    • Main AI Deployment Model by Sector
    • Workloads that Require Edge Data Center by Sector
    • Latency Requirements by Sector
    • Type of Infrastructure to Run Applications Used Today by Region
    • Key Reasons for Choosing Colocation Facility Deployment by Region
    • Top 3 Criteria When Choosing a Colocation Service Provider by Region
    • Current IT Load Capacity by Region
    • Expected Increase in IT Load Capacity by Region
    • Current State of AI Solutions Deployment by Region
    • Main AI Deployment Model by Region
    • Workloads that Require Edge Data Center by Region
    • Latency Requirements by Region
    • Type of Infrastructure to Run Applications Used Today by Company Size
    • Key Reasons for Choosing Colocation Facility Deployment by Company Size
    • Key Criteria When Choosing a Colocation Service Provider by Company Size
    • Current IT Load Capacity by Company Size
    • Expected Increase in IT Load Capacity by Company Size
    • Current State of AI Solutions Deployment by Company Size
    • Main AI Deployment Model by Company Size
    • Workloads that Require Edge Data Center by Company Size
    • Latency Requirements by Company Size
    • Key Findings
    • Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine
    • Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow?
    • The Strategic Imperative 8
    • Benefits and Impacts of Growth Opportunities
    • Next Steps

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