As an asset class, data centers will continue to mature. As they do, KDC SVP and partner Ab Atkins sees many parallels with the industrial sector.

Much like warehouses have become more about logistics than storage, data centers have become more about connectivity than memory.

As Walmart and big-box retailers have grown savvy on e-commerce, they have been forced to think more about how to get goods to customers quickly and efficiently and less about how to store goods regionally.

Likewise, as data centers have become more mainstream, corporate America has made it incumbent upon itself to understand the industry and hold IT more accountable for solutions, Ab tells us. This change has often lead to data centers being located closer to offices, much like warehouses have become more regional and closer to consumers.

Before the crash in '08, Ab says tenants were more concerned with what happened within a data center; now tenants care more about what happens in the network.

Data centers and industrial buildings have been outfitted with more commodities in recent years, Ab tells us. The network and cloud aren't as commoditized as the data centers themselves, much like warehouses.

Hear industry leaders discuss everything you ever wanted to know about data centers at our Annual Data Center Investment Expo 2016 at Infomart (pictured) in Dallas on Nov. 10. Register here.