8x8 opens new data centre in France

Cloud communications provider 8x8 has opened a new data centre in France to meet growing demand for in-country data hosting and regulatory compliance. The facility is designed to support France’s data sovereignty and residency requirements, including GDPR and local hosting mandates. It also seeks to provide low-latency access and enterprise-grade reliability for businesses and public sector organisations. Expansion in the French market The announcement follows a year of growth for 8x8 in France. The company appointed Christian Laloy as Country Lead, strengthened its collaboration with IT services group SCC, and formed a partnership with the French trade association for customer relations (AFRC). “While others choose to operate remotely, we’re investing locally,” says Christian Laloy, Country Manager, France at 8x8. “Some providers choose not to locate in France and, in my mind, that shows a lack of respect for the local businesses, the local people, and the culture. "This new data centre makes our position clear: 8x8 is committed to serving French organisations with secure and fully compliant technology and transparency.” Supporting regulated industries The new site is part of 8x8’s wider strategy to serve regulated and security-conscious sectors. By storing data in-country and complying with European requirements, the company aims to increase trust amongst French customers. “8x8 isn't just entering the market with an innovative approach; by locating its data centres in France, the company helps deliver its customers a high level of data sovereignty, in line with European regulatory requirements,” claims Regis Davesne, Director of SCC France. “This choice significantly boosts confidence and makes a real difference for customers looking for a solid, reliable long-term partner.” The French opening is one of several European investments planned for 2025 as 8x8 expands across markets where compliance and security are key considerations.

rConfig launches Version 8 of its network configuration platform

Irish software developer rConfig has announced the release of Version 8 of its network configuration and compliance management platform. The update introduces a new distributed architecture, enhanced security features, and broader vendor support. It has been designed to support large-scale environments, with capacity for more than 20,000 devices and faster search and compliance processes. Key Features in Version 8 • Vector architecture — Distributed collection and multi-tenant scalability for managed service providers and large enterprises • Security and compliance — Expanded policy frameworks, encrypted configuration storage, and reporting designed to meet regulatory requirements • Performance — Proven capability to manage 20,000+ devices with faster compliance execution • Vendor support — Broad compatibility without restrictions Positioning in the Market The company says the platform combines its open-source heritage with enterprise-level capability. Its distributed design, focus on compliance automation, and multi-vendor support aim to make it suitable for sectors including telecommunications, manufacturing, energy, and government. rConfig is also developing AI-driven features, including automated compliance baselines, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics to support proactive network management. Industry Collaboration The company will be a Platinum Partner at Zabbix Summit 2025 in Riga this October, where it will demonstrate how Version 8 integrates with Zabbix for real-time configuration monitoring and compliance. “With V8, we’ve set a new standard for the industry,” claims Stephen Stack, CTO of rConfig. “Our customers demanded speed, compliance, and distributed scale – we delivered. And with AI-driven innovation and our deepening partnership with Zabbix, we’re excited to lead the next chapter of network automation.”

AVK appoints new Chief Operating Officer

AVK, a UK provider of power systems and electrical infrastructure for data centres, has announced the appointment of Paul Hood as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). He brings extensive experience from senior roles in the data centre sector, including positions at Yondr Group, Pure Data Centres Group, Barclays, and JP Morgan. Paul was formerly Managing Director and then COO of Yondr Group, and Global Operations Director and MD (Africa region) at Pure Data Centres Group. His career also includes 13 years at JP Morgan, where he oversaw the company’s entire data centre infrastructure across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, managing an annual budget of $90 million (£67 million). Industry experience Paul’s background is rooted in systems and control engineering for building services, later expanding to building electrical systems management. He has also planned and administered multi-million-pound engineering budgets, conducted inspections in health, safety, and fire prevention, and co-founded the Universal Technical College network of STEM-focused schools. Ben Pritchard, CEO of AVK, comments, “I am genuinely excited about Paul joining our team. He has a superb engineering brain, he is a very logical thinker, and he has a real passion for working hard. Essentially, he believes in what he does. Paul doesn’t just bring vast global experience to AVK; he is a leader who has done it all.” Paul says, “I’ve known AVK for 30 years and I understand exactly where the company has come from and where it is going in this incredibly competitive industry. I am delighted to be working with some of the most committed infrastructure engineers in the world. I’m also known for investing in people, getting decisions done, and getting things over the line, and I’m truly excited about my forthcoming journey at AVK.” Future role at AVK Paul’s appointment comes as AVK pursues growth in integrated power infrastructure for data centres, including prime power, microgrids, standby, and modular energy systems. He is expected to play a key role in expanding service and maintenance operations, developing client relationships, and supporting long-term partnerships. For more from AVK, click here.

Inspired, VIRTUS sign wind-powered tri-party CPPA

Inspired, a UK commercial energy and sustainability advisory firm, has announced the signing of a tri-party corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) with VIRTUS Data Centres, a UK data centre provider, and Lynn and Inner Dowsing (LID) windfarms. VIRTUS has subscribed to a combined power purchase agreement (PPA) totalling 31MW of wind power, representing 16% of the total generation from Lynn and Inner Dowsing (LID) offshore windfarms, with a commencement date of 1 October 2025. This agreement seeks to ensure a long-term supply of renewable energy. The agreement A CPPA is a long-term energy contract between a corporate customer and a renewable power generator/developer. They are becoming an increasingly popular choice for companies wanting to reach net zero as they offer up to 100% renewable power. Having a CPPA means the energy businesses use can be traced back to a specific renewable energy project, such as a wind or solar farm, which feeds an equivalent amount of power into the grid. David Cockshott, Chief Commercial Officer at Inspired, says, “Inspired has been proud to partner with VIRTUS as their dedicated energy consultant. We are excited to continue supporting their sustainable journey and to commence this tri-party agreement, which allows renewable power to flow directly to their data centres.” Helen Kinsman, SVP Commercial and Regulatory Affairs at VIRTUS, adds, “As an energy intensive user, we know it’s our responsibility to minimise the environmental impact from all our data centre facilities. Hence, since going live with our first site in 2011, we have been procuring power from 100% renewable sources. "We are committed to delivering reliable, resilient, and responsible digital infrastructure to our customers and operate the gold standard in sustainable data centres in the UK and Europe.” The renewable power will be delivered by Lynn and Inner Dowsing (LID) offshore windfarms, owned by funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management. Macquarie Asset Management is supported by XceCo, a UK asset management company specialising in the full project life cycle of renewable energy ventures. The offshore wind farms are located 5km off the east coast of England, by the town of Skegness in Lincolnshire. Bailey Bradley, Managing Director and co-founder XceCo, comments, “The successful delivery of this CPPA for one of our offshore wind farm assets under management stands as a testament to the exceptional collaboration between XceCo and all stakeholders involved in delivering this transaction. "The commercial complexities involved in delivering this CPPA have proven to be a great experience. Through painstaking efforts, continuous multi-party engagements, a shared vision, and unwavering commitment, we turned a complex challenge into a powerful achievement, generating success together." Inspired also provide a variety of additional services to VIRTUS as their dedicated energy and sustainability consultant. For more from VIRTUS, click here.

NorthC completes acquisition of six Colt data centres

NorthC, a Dutch provider of sustainable data centre and colocation services, has finalised the acquisition of six data centres from multinational telecommunications company Colt Technology Services, taking over operations on 1 September 2025. The sites are located in Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Düsseldorf in Germany, and in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The acquisition adds more than 25MW of capacity to NorthC’s platform and expands its presence in both the Benelux and DACH regions. In Germany, the deal increases the company’s footprint to seven data centres in total, while simultaneously boosting capacity in Amsterdam, a key connectivity hub. Expansion in Germany and the Netherlands NorthC says it plans to invest further in the newly acquired sites to expand capacity and improve efficiency and sustainability. The sites will be integrated into the company’s platform and aligned with its operational and service standards. Customers will also gain access to NorthC’s digital services, including the MyNorthC self-service portal. Alexandra Schless, CEO of NorthC Group, comments, “Today marks a major milestone in NorthC’s mission to build the premier regional data centre platform in Northwestern Europe. The integration of these six strategic sites accelerates our expansion, particularly in Germany, enabling us to support customers across all major metropolitan regions with scalable, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure.” Customers and continuity Colt Technology Services will remain a long-term customer at the acquired facilities, which NorthC says will ensure continuity of service. The company adds that the new sites are in regions with strong connectivity and growing demand for digital infrastructure, allowing it to better serve enterprises, cloud and IT providers, and public sector organisations with cross-border operations. For more from NorthC, click here.

DE-CIX becomes first in India to integrate Starlink

Internet exchange (IX) operator DE-CIX India has announced that Starlink has joined its interconnection platform, making it the first IX in the country to provide interconnection for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services. The move follows Starlink’s approval of a commercial licence from India’s Department of Telecommunications, with final clearance expected by late 2025 or early 2026. The partnership is expected to play a role in supporting India’s digital infrastructure and extending broadband access to underserved areas. Expanding connectivity Starlink services are priced at around ₹33,000 ($376 / £276) for hardware, with monthly costs of ₹3,000–₹4,200 ($35–$50 / £25-£35). The service offers speeds of 25–220 Mbps, which can provide broadband-grade access in remote regions beyond the reach of fibre networks. DE-CIX says its infrastructure will provide the terrestrial backbone needed to support Starlink’s satellite connectivity, enabling reliable performance for applications such as streaming, video conferencing, and online gaming. Satellite and terrestrial integration Through its global Space-IX programme, DE-CIX provides interconnection for satellite operators by linking them with terrestrial networks and cloud services. The organisation says this integration is critical to maintaining low latency and high reliability. By joining DE-CIX India’s platform, Starlink is positioned to operate as an internet service provider in the country, complementing existing terrestrial and mobile networks. DE-CIX India operates across major metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, and offers multiple 100GE ports for high-capacity connections. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Powering data centres sustainably in an AI world

Data centres are getting bigger, denser, and more power-hungry than ever. Artificial intelligence's (AI) rapid emergence and growth only accelerates this process. However, AI could also be an enormously powerful tool to improve the energy efficiency of data centres, enabling them to operate far more sustainably than they do today. This creates a kind of AI energy infrastructure paradox, with Hitachi Energy posing the question: Is AI a friend or foe of data centres' sustainability? In its technical brief, the company explores: • The factors that are driving the rapid growth in data centre energy demand, • The steps taken to mitigate fast-growing power consumption trends, and • The role that AI could play in the future evolution of both data centre management and the clean energy transition. Register below to download the whitepaper now: [ninja_form id='4']

Crusoe expands partnership with atNorth at Iceland DC

Crusoe, a developer of AI cloud infrastructure, and Nordic data centre operator atNorth have announced a 24MW expansion of Crusoe Cloud capacity at atNorth’s ICE02 facility in Iceland. The development builds on the two companies’ original agreement from December 2023, which included 33MW of capacity, and forms part of Crusoe’s wider European growth strategy. The ICE02 site, located near Reykjavík, benefits from low-latency connectivity supported by multiple undersea fibre-optic cables linking international markets. The latest phase of development includes the deployment of NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 infrastructure, as well as NVIDIA Blackwell and Hopper GPUs. Renewable-powered expansion The data centre is powered by geothermal and hydroelectric energy and has been fitted with Direct Liquid to Chip (DLC) cooling systems. Both companies say this reflects their commitment to supporting high-performance computing while limiting carbon impact. Chase Lochmiller, co-founder and CEO of Crusoe, says, “Our partnership with atNorth allows us to leverage the abundant geothermal and hydroelectric power in Iceland to build energy-first AI infrastructure so that our customers can run their most demanding AI workloads on Crusoe Cloud.” Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth, adds, “The expansion of our ICE02 site features cutting-edge infrastructure and highly energy-efficient Direct Liquid to Chip cooling technology. This aligns with both companies’ commitment to sustainability, and we are proud to support Crusoe on their path to decarbonise workloads while delivering AI-ready solutions in an environmentally responsible way.” Growing AI data centre demand atNorth says demand for AI-ready infrastructure continues to increase, with its modular campus design enabling flexible scaling. Recent partnerships, including projects with Nokia and 6G AI Sweden AB, reflect the company’s focus on balancing advanced computing with environmental responsibility. For more from atNorth, click here.

Colocation's role in an AI world

In this article, Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Telehouse Europe, explores colocation’s dual role in supporting today’s transformation and tomorrow’s artificial intelligence (AI): Behind the curtain of AI The proliferation of AI solutions is a source of headlines which can easily obscure the critical role of data centres as ever more workloads run in the background. Recent research by S&P Global Market Intelligence, commissioned by Telehouse, shines a light on what is going on behind the scenes. It reveals that 76% of AI workloads are hosted in the cloud or in data centres, including colocation facilities. AI, however, is not the sole focus of every organisation. Many are undertaking technical transformations that data centres must be capable of supporting, while also providing infrastructure with the flexibility to scale for future AI integrations. This question of flexibility is becoming central to how colocation providers serve a growing market. The growth of AI and its processing needs The research shows between 16% and 20% of overall workloads are AI-related. While hyperscalers lead with 35% of these workloads, third-party colocation data centres hold a 10% share. Within this space, several factors are shaping buying decisions, including GPU-as-a-Service (18%), access to specialised cooling (15%), and GPU-based compute installation (13%). One key issue is becoming increasingly important as AI workloads grow: effective cooling. The GPUs used in AI processing are only as reliable as the cooling systems that support them, which demands a more advanced set of cooling technologies to cope with the heat generated by their higher power densities. This brings liquid technology into play, as it requires less power than traditional air cooling, making it a more efficient, reliable method. Liquid cooling may be essential for AI growth, but it also has more immediate gains for data centre operators. By enabling higher rack densities – some reaching up to 100KW – it can accommodate a wider range of power-hungry workloads within a smaller footprint. At the same time, its lower energy requirements help to reduce costs and improve PUE ratings. These efficiency gains contribute directly to the reduction of carbon footprints and boost attainment of environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) goals. Cloud on-ramps for AI lift-off As well as meeting present-day digital demands from customers, data centre operators must consider cloud on-ramps for AI workloads. More than 90% of companies view on-ramps as either critical or quite important to AI/ML architecture, with the potential for multiple AI-related functions. This includes moving data in and out of the cloud for training inferencing purposes, alongside the transportation of AI-related data for analysis. Cloud on-ramps are also important for digital transformation strategies. As a direct, secure connection, they enable faster, more reliable access to cloud services from a data centre. Low-latency connectivity between business networks and other cloud services via a private connection is enabled by cloud exchanges with links to the leading cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. If they provide access to cloud on-ramps and cloud exchanges, colocation services should be at the centre of distributed AI workloads that make use of public cloud services. The value of consultancy and expertise The research is also clear about the role of expertise in guiding the data centre choices for both transformation strategies and longer-term AI plans. A fifth of respondents (20%) cite AI/ML consulting services as the main differentiator when considering a colocation provider. This is especially true for healthcare and life sciences companies which value the availability of IT skills and expertise. Remote and smart-hands services offered by leading data centre operators clearly have an important role in offering guidance on how organisations meet their goals. In colocation centres, smart-hands services make it easier to configure changes to equipment and to install new equipment. Colocation has a central role As AI workloads grow to power dramatic new use cases, colocation is expanding its critical support. It offers the infrastructure, connectivity, and expertise that organisations require to achieve their current targets and the requirements of the AI-shaped future. The combination of advanced cooling systems, direct cloud connectivity, and value-added services makes colocation fundamental to evolving workloads, whether focused on digital transformation or AI. For more from Telehouse, click here.

Planning approved for new DC in Hertfordshire, UK

Outline planning has been approved for a new 5,000 m² data centre at 45 Maylands Avenue in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK. Designed by architecture firm Scott Brownrigg for Northtree Investment Management, the new project is intended to provide much-needed digital infrastructure while creating a new, high-quality workplace and public realm. Proposals seek to maximise space on the industrial site by replacing an existing two-storey warehouse and office building with a new three-storey facility, adorned with office accommodation, a substation, car parking, and servicing areas. The architectural company says designs echo the scale of neighbouring logistics and light industrial buildings, using a contemporary architectural language and high-quality materials to "enhance the frontage to Maylands Avenue." Existing levels on the site will be utilised to maximise available space while reducing the height of the building facing the street. The current access from Maylands Avenue will be enhanced to provide accessible parking and a point of arrival for guests, pedestrians, and those arriving by bicycle, while access from Cleaveland Way will be gated and dedicated to HGV and staff vehicles. A setback from the roadside creates an opportunity to reinforce the boulevard and improve the quality of the public realm along Maylands Avenue. New landscaping with seating areas hopes to encourage pedestrian and cycle movement and contribute to the visual amenity on the estate. The sustainability strategy includes measures such as a fabric-first approach for the design, as well as a layout that allows for naturally ventilated offices via openable windows, while maintaining the security of restricted spaces. A mixture of locally native trees and shrub species will be planted along the boundaries to the south and west of the site to create a vegetative buffer for the development and habitat for local wildlife. Scott Brownrigg claims its proposal for 45 Maylands Avenue is set to make the most of the site available, densifying industrial land use, whilst carefully considering how the occupied spaces can positively contribute to and improve upon the existing street scene.