As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a cornerstone of business technology, data centers and core infrastructure must evolve to meet its demands.

As companies grow and technology advances, data centers must undergo significant transformations to stay ahead of the curve. IT leaders need to continuously address technical debt to keep their environments agile, efficient and capable of supporting cutting-edge innovations — particularly AI-powered applications. The rise of AI has only heightened the importance of infrastructure modernization, as data-intensive, AI-driven solutions demand new levels of performance and scalability in both technology and operations.

This report outlines the top data center infrastructure modernization priorities for 2026 and how to prepare your IT systems, processes and people for these new requirements. We focus on four key priorities:

Priority #1: Infrastructure refresh – Taking a holistic approach to updating and upgrading aging compute, storage and network assets.
Priority #2: Infrastructure for private cloud – Operating on-premises infrastructure under a cloud operating model for agility and hybrid flexibility.
Priority #3: Infrastructure for AI – Evaluating data center facilities and architecture considerations (e.g., power, cooling, space) to support AI workloads.
Priority #4: Business continuity and cyber recovery – Strengthening disaster recovery with robust cyber resilience to maintain uninterrupted operations.

The content reflects World Wide Technology's (WWT) research and field experience, including insights from our recent Customer Advisory Board (CAB) and Customer Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) discussions. By addressing these priorities, organizations can modernize their IT foundations, reduce risk and position themselves for future growth in an increasingly digital, AI-driven world.