DatacenterDynamics’ service provider focused event opened in Chicago with a look at the future of colocation in the era of the cloud. The event also featured a Hong Kong firm stepping out into the Chinese market and some powerful advice on how to market data centers. 

Keynote speaker Joe Wienman, author of the book Cloudonomics, opened the event with a discussion of the role of colocation providers in the cloud age. The first day also included an account of how to expand into China. Analyst Nicola Hayes of Andrasta Consulting took the industry to task for its general failure to understand marketing.

Meanwhile, outside the auditoria, the industry got on with networking and sharing. Marketing or no marketing, the industry at DCD as-a-Service looks a picture of health. 

These images give a flavor of the event.