A 2020 Year in Review on Digital Strategy Trends

Haynes Strader, Vice President of Data Center Solutions, CBRE, returned to Not Your Father’s Data Center for a look back and assessment of one of the craziest years in recent memory. To summarize the market during the pandemic, Strader said, “CBRE had a really busy first quarter, and then, in March, we saw a big screeching halt as everyone was trying to figure out what was happening.” There was still lots of activity, even with a slump in transactions. “We’ve seen that start to pick back up with what’s shaping to be a busy fourth quarter. I think we’re going to be rocketing into 2021 from both an enterprise standpoint and a hyper-scale standpoint.”

Strader pointed out how the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in many different sectors and industries during the pandemic, from the shift for many businesses to remote work and learning to telemedicine in healthcare.

“The same thing is happening with eCommerce and food delivery,” Strader said. “You’re seeing people who normally wouldn’t be comfortable on a computer or their phone engaging with a service provider now, having been forced to do that for a year, feeling much more comfortable.”

How has the pandemic affected the commercial real estate market? Strader said there is still an abundance of activity, and businesses will continue to need space after COVID-19. Strader also believed many positions might permanently shift to remote, and that the needs of companies for large spaces will reduce. On the flip side, the rapid and expanding digital storage requirements will see those businesses’ needs increase and continue to grow in that marketplace.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

From the Bench: How Research Can Help Us Build a Future-Ready Global Healthcare Workforce | Lauren Herckis | EP 18
From the Bench: How Research Can Help Us Build a Future-Ready Global Healthcare Workforce
November 20, 2025

The Care Anywhere podcast is taking listeners behind the scenes of global health workforce research with a brand-new series: From the Bench. In this kickoff episode, host Lea Sims talks with Dr. Lauren Herckis of TruMerit about how research can move from data to real-world impact — revealing how evidence, collaboration, and curiosity are driving…

Read More
purpose
Elevate Your Career Journey by Choosing Purpose, Practicing Intentionality, and Building a Culture of Belonging
November 19, 2025

Purpose doesn’t just shape what we do—it shapes how we grow. When we choose to move through our careers with intention, we start noticing the moments that build trust, the conversations that deepen understanding, and the relationships that elevate our impact. This episode of Professional Quotient digs into what it really means to show up…

Read More
Christie Linebarger
Christie Linebarger’s Journey to Leadership: Grit, Growth & Leading with Heart
November 19, 2025

Leadership conversations are shifting as companies navigate rapid change, tighter labor markets, and evolving employee expectations. Teams want leaders who show up with humility, clarity, and a genuine investment in people—traits that can’t be faked and can’t be automated. And with studies consistently linking team engagement to the quality of direct leadership, understanding how effective…

Read More
Detroit's workforce
Powering Up Detroit’s Workforce: How Per Scholas Is Connecting Local Talent to Tech and Energy Careers
November 18, 2025

Detroit is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation—one driven by innovation, community leadership, and an urgent demand for a new kind of workforce. As energy and tech sectors accelerate, organizations and employers are racing to prepare Detroit’s workforce for jobs that didn’t exist a decade ago. Workforce researchers note that tech-enabled roles across industries are growing…

Read More