OPEX Options for Data Centres in the Age of AI

AI is reshaping how data centres are planned, built and funded. Demand for machine learning and advanced analytics is placing pressure on traditional infrastructure models, with unpredictable spikes in processing requirements and shorter hardware lifecycles making long-term capacity planning harder to manage. Many AI workloads rely on large clusters of GPUs or specialised processors, increasing power and cooling demands while placing significant pressure on compute capacity.

At the same time, global demand for chips and memory, driven heavily by AI growth, is contributing to price increases and supply shortages. The impact is not limited to organisations running large AI platforms. Many businesses are seeing unexpected cost increases for server and storage upgrades, often outside planned budgets, while component lead times continue to extend. With these pressures unlikely to ease in the short term, technology and finance leaders are reviewing how they invest in infrastructure. For many organisations, the question is no longer if consumption-based models make sense,  but where they deliver the most value.

One practical response is the move from capital expenditure (CapEx) to consumption-based operational expenditure (OPEX). Under this model, infrastructure is delivered as a service. Providers install systems on-premises, or in a colocation facility, with additional capacity available when needed, and customers pay for the resources they use.  This reduces the need for large up-front investment while providing cloud-like flexibility for workloads that still need to remain in a controlled environment.

Leading Consumption-Based Solutions

Several major IT vendors now offer on-premises consumption models. While the models are similar in principle, they differ in how they approach scale, flexibility and operational control.  Each has a different emphasis, but they are all designed to give customers access to infrastructure as a service rather than relying solely on traditional purchase-and-refresh cycles.

HPE GreenLake is one of the more established options in this market. It provides a broad set of on-premises and cloud services on apay-per-use basis. Its maturity and unified management approach make it attractive to organisations looking for a single platform across hybrid environments.

Everpure Evergreen//One focuses on enterprise storage delivered through a subscription model. It combines high-performance flash storage with ongoing, non-disruptive upgrades, allowing customers to scale storage and adopt newer technology without a large upfront capital purchase or disruptive refresh project.

Dell APEX offers a wider portfolio covering core datacentre infrastructure, including compute, storage and backup, as well as private cloud and high-performance computing services. It supports a range of deployment options, from on-premises to edge locations, and uses the APEX Console to simplify management and scaling. The model also includes proactive capacity management and flexible usage commitments, helping customers keepcapacity and cost aligned with demand.

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Why OPEX Models Appeal to Customers

For many organisations, these models address both financial and operational challenges:

·      Financial predictability: Pay-per-use pricing reduces the need for large upfront investments and links cost more closely to actual demand. This helps with budget planning and limits the risk of unplanned capital spend when hardware prices rise. For mid-sized organisations, it also reduces the need to over-provision infrastructure “just in case”-  a common challenge when planning for AI.

·      Scalability and speed: Reserved capacity gives customers room to support new projects or sudden growth without waiting months for procurement and deployment. This is particularly important for AI workloads, where demand can scale unpredictably and evolve quickly.

·      Reduced risk and easier modernisation: Vendors take on more responsibility for maintenance, lifecycle management and upgrades. This helps keep systems current without the disruption and risk associated with major refresh projects.

·      Alignment with business demand: Because costs are linked to usage, IT teams can show a clearer connection between infrastructure spend and business activity. This makes it easier to justify investment and adjust capacity as priorities change.

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The Path Forward

As markets are shaped by technology change and constrained supply chains, flexibility is becoming as important as capacity. AI-drivendemand and component shortages are making fixed, CapEx-heavy approaches harderto justify, particularly where future requirements are uncertain.

OPEX options such as Dell APEX, HPE GreenLake and Everpure Evergreen//Onegive organisations a more adaptable way to plan infrastructure. They allow IT resources to expand or contract as demand changes, helping customers support innovation, including AI initiatives, without being held back by long procurement cycles or unexpected hardware costs. They also shift more of the capacity planning and hardware investment burden to the provider.

For CIOs and CFOs, consumption-based infrastructure is becoming an important part of a more agile and cost-controlled data centre strategy. In the age of AI, it offers a more practical balance for organisations trying to innovate without losing financial control - capacity when it’s needed, and cost control when it’s not.

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Published June 2026 Tech Insights

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