Infrastructure is having a moment -- why it’s finally getting the spotlight [Q&A]

AI, automation, seamless collaboration. These are the technologies that dominate headlines and drive business strategy. But beneath all the buzz, there’s a quiet but powerful shift happening: infrastructure is back in the spotlight.

Just look at Alphabet -- Google’s parent company -- which recently surprised investors by announcing it’s planning to spend a jaw-dropping $85 billion in 2025. That’s $10 billion more than they originally expected. And what’s fueling that massive investment? Nearly two-thirds of it is going toward the nuts and bolts of tech infrastructure like data centers, servers, and everything needed to power AI, the cloud, and our increasingly real-time digital world.

The message is clear. No matter how advanced the technology, it won’t deliver results without rock-solid infrastructure underneath it.

We spoke with Larry O’Connor, founder and CEO of Other World Computing (OWC), about the renewed urgency around storage and foundational tech. With decades of experience serving both content creators and business professionals, O’Connor shares why smart infrastructure still matters -- and what teams need to do to stay ahead of silent risks lurking beneath their shiny new tools.

BN: It feels like everyone is focused on the future with AI tools, remote workflows and real-time everything. Why does it still matter to think about storage?

LO: Because all those tools -- the smart tech, the automation, the AI -- depend on having stable, reliable, and secure access to data. You can’t build a future-ready business or creative workflow on a weak foundation. And yet, that’s what happens when teams treat storage as an afterthought.

Marketing teams juggling scattered cloud folders, post-production teams spending hours tracking down missing files, IT leaders suddenly realizing they’ve lost sight of their most critical data -- we see it all the time. It’s easy to chase the next big thing. But let’s be real. None of it works if your foundation is shaky.

BN: When it comes to managing that foundation, what are some of the most common mistakes you see?

LO: One of the biggest is assuming that because your data is ‘in the cloud,’ it’s safe. Cloud tools are great, but they’re not foolproof -- and they’re not a substitute for a real backup or data management plan.

Another issue is sprawl. Teams are producing more content and data than ever. But they don’t always have a clear system for organizing, naming, storing, or archiving it. That creates all sorts of problems -- from version control issues and slow access to serious security and compliance risks.

And sometimes the problem is just too much complexity. People end up stitching together solutions that aren’t really built to work together. And when something goes wrong, nobody knows where the failure started.

BN: Who needs to care about this -- and when? Is this a CIO-level concern, or something individual teams should be thinking about?

LO: It’s both. For leadership, it’s about risk, cost, and long-term scalability. If your storage systems don’t support your business goals -- or worse, if they create friction or vulnerability -- you’re going to feel it in missed deadlines, lost data, or mounting infrastructure costs.

But on the ground level, creators, designers, marketers, engineers -- they’re the ones who suffer when things go wrong. When files go missing. When uploads lag. When no one knows if the version they’re using is the final one. A solid storage and data management setup empowers people to focus on their actual work -- not troubleshooting access or digging through drive folders from two years ago.

Think about a busy creative agency. When a designer can’t find the right file. Maybe it’s named strangely, saved in the wrong format, or hidden in some forgotten folder. The entire project can come to a grinding halt. You lose hours just trying to track things down. And before you know it, the deadline’s creeping up. The client’s starting to worry. The team’s feeling the pressure. And everything feels a little off. But when all your files live in one clear, shared spot? Everything just clicks. Everyone knows where to look, nothing gets lost, and people can actually focus on creating -- not endlessly digging through digital junk drawers.

BN: So, what’s something most teams, or even IT leaders, would be shocked to learn about how storage failures actually happen?

LO: That most data loss isn't caused by hardware failure -- it's caused by human error, poor planning, or assumptions. It’s not always a dramatic crash or a fire in the server room. Sometimes it’s someone accidentally overwriting a project folder. Sometimes it’s a misconfigured cloud sync. Sometimes it’s the only copy of something mission-critical sitting on someone’s personal laptop.

People assume disaster means some catastrophic event. But often, it's a slow unraveling -- and you don’t realize it until it’s too late. You think your backups are running. You think someone else is managing it. And then you go to retrieve something, and it’s just… gone.

The industry’s best-kept secret? Most teams are far closer to a data loss event than they realize. It’s not about whether something will go wrong. It’s whether you’ve built a system that can survive it when it does.

One of the easiest ways to cut the chaos is to give your files a real home -- a place where everything lives together, safe, organized, and actually makes sense to the people using it. Think of it like a well-run kitchen: you know where the knives are, the pantry’s labeled, and no one’s putting raw chicken on the dessert tray. That’s what a centralized storage setup -- like a NAS (network-attached storage) system -- can do for your team. You set a few ground rules -- who can access what, who can make changes, and how to roll things back when mistakes happen (because they will happen).

A NAS gives your team a shared, secure space where everything’s backed up, version-controlled, and easy to find. So when things go sideways, and they always do eventually, you’re not in a panic. You’ve got a system that has your back, and your team can keep doing what they do best without missing a beat.

BN: What’s your advice for teams trying to get this right without overcomplicating it?

LO: You don’t have to fix everything overnight. But you do need to take stock -- what are you storing, where is it living, who’s accessing it, and what’s the impact if it suddenly vanishes?

Ask yourself this, “If we lost access to that data tomorrow, how quickly could we bounce back?” Just thinking through that question usually shines a light on where the cracks are.

Build in redundancy, simplify workflows, and make sure your infrastructure actually reflects the way your team works today -- not how it worked five years ago. And as things change, keep reevaluating. What works for a three-person team might not work for a thirty-person one -- and definitely not for a global, hybrid workforce.

BN: You’ve also been a big proponent of sustainability in tech -- what does that look like when it comes to storage?

LO: Sustainability isn’t just about energy efficiency -- it’s about longevity and flexibility. The ability to upgrade, expand, and continue benefiting from your investment over time is a huge part of what makes a solution sustainable.

Too often, companies end up in this constant cycle of replacement. A new format comes out, or the workload grows, and suddenly they’re tossing perfectly good gear. That’s wasteful, expensive, and avoidable.

A smarter move is investing in infrastructure that can grow and adapt with you -- not something you have to rip out and replace every time your needs shift. Yes, it’s better for the planet. But it’s also just good business. You cut costs, avoid downtime, and give your team tools that actually support them instead of holding them back.

BN: Looking ahead, what should businesses and creative teams keep in mind as they invest in new tech?

LO: Don’t just get caught up in the shiny new things. Sure, AI is changing the game and those pushing cloud-first workflows aren’t going away. But behind all that flash is the stuff that really keeps it running -- solid storage, smart access controls, and clear data governance. It’s not glamorous, but it’s absolutely essential.

Think of it like this, every big breakthrough you’re aiming for is only as strong as the foundation it’s built on. Cut corners here or there, and it might not show up right away. But sooner or later, something’s going to give.

Smart storage isn’t some flashy trend -- it’s the quiet backbone that keeps everything running.

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