Vertiv concluded its annual Vertiv Masterclass series in Manila on October 2nd, bringing together over 100 data center engineers, builders, and consultants for a full day of immersive learning and knowledge exchange. Part of Vertiv’s Asia-wide roadshow, the event explored emerging trends and innovations shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
This year’s spotlight is on the impact of AI on data centers and critical infrastructure, notably on power and cooling strategies that support high-density and high-performance computing. The program opened with welcome remarks from Chris Mandahl, senior director for customer experience at Vertiv Asia, who also delivered the first keynote, “Data Center as a Unit of Compute – A Vision for 2030 and Beyond.” Mandahl highlighted the growing importance and impact of AI on critical infrastructure, and how Vertiv is well-positioned to support its customers with a complete portfolio of end-to-end solutions.
Anna Chua, sales manager for Vertiv Philippines, also delivered a presentation on “Data Center Excellence through Convergence of Power, Cooling, and Intelligence,” underscoring the need for integration of advanced critical infrastructure systems to optimize efficiency, resilience, and intelligence and support AI deployment across key industries.
A highlight of the event was the panel discussion featuring Pierre San Diego, head of design and construction at ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Philippines, Orvin Reyes, head of data center business development, innovations and product development at VITRO Inc., and Mandahl. Moderated by Katrina Tirante-Uy, marketing director at Vertiv Asia, the panel explored how the rise of AI is reshaping the traditional approach to data center design and deployment.
Panelists emphasized the need to move beyond product-centric solutions, where power, cooling, and IT systems are treated as standalone components, towards system-centric, platform-driven architectures. This shift, they noted, is critical for supporting the massive computing demands and energy requirements of AI workloads.
The afternoon offered technical deep dives on power train design, UPS strategies, and thermal systems, equipping participants with practical knowledge of the latest technologies.
“Vertiv Masterclass is more than just a technical program. It is a platform for collaboration. With the Philippines experiencing rapid digital growth and with AI workloads reshaping infrastructure demands, it is vital that we provide consulting engineers and industry leaders with actionable insights, bet practices, and future-ready solutions to support this transformation,” said Mandahl.
With a strong turnout, Vertiv Masterclass underscored the value of collaborative learning and practical strategies in the local data center ecosystem. It follows successful Masterclass events across the region, including Singapore and Malaysia, and reaffirms Vertiv’s commitment to equipping Asia’s digital infrastructure community with the tools and expertise needed for the next era of innovation.
