Microsoft is set to lead the way in harnessing the power of automation and robotics technology to revolutionize data center operations, with the creation of a dedicated team focused on researching and developing new innovations. 

In a recent job advertisement, Microsoft had requested a hardware automation team manager with a specialism in robotics, “As the Team Manager – Hardware Robotics, for our robotics and automation department, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of data center operations,” the job listing states.

“The successful candidate will be responsible for orchestrating a harmonious ,environment where innovation thrives. You will ensure that the team’s efforts align seamlessly with our broader organizational goals, fostering collaboration, setting clear targets, and ensuring that projects meet quality standards within designated deadlines.”

Hyperscalers, with their huge data center footprint and generous research budgets, appear set to lead the next wave of robotic data centers.Africa Hyperscalers reported on Tesla doubling down on artificial intelligence, robotics and self-driving cars with its new Dojo data center. 

“As far as robotics, our hyperscale data centers are more like warehouses and most of the processes require a robot to navigate to a specific location to perform a task,” says Google’s VP of data centers, Joe Kava as reported by Data Center Dynamics.

“However, even as advanced as robotics have become, many of the tests in data centers are much more complicated than in other industries that have employed large-scale robotic implementations.”

More hyperscalers will continue to create data centers imbued with significant automation and robotics capabilities, underscoring the industry’s broader transformation, where automation and robotics are becoming integral components of data center infrastructure.