April 2 (Reuters) - Asset manager Blackstone has

agreed to take a 49% stake in Rowan Digital Infrastructure in a

deal that would likely value the data center company at about

$3.8 billion not including debt, The Information reported on

Thursday.

Blackstone is expected to gain strong control rights under

the deal, the report added, citing a source. The companies did

not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside

regular business hours.

Global data-center dealmaking has surged, hitting a record last

year, due to an insatiable demand for computing infrastructure

to meet the boom in artificial intelligence usage.