Colt announces sale of eight European data centres

Author: Simon Rowley

Colt Technology Services (Colt), a global digital infrastructure company, today announced the divestment of six of its data centres in major cities across Europe to data centre provider NorthC, headquartered in the Netherlands and majority-owned by funds managed by DWS Group.

Colt will also divest two of its data centres in London to a UK-based data centre business, also owned by funds which are managed by DWS Group. The sale expands NorthC’s European data centre footprint and enables Colt to focus on its core business strategy, delivering sustainable digital infrastructure to drive customers’ success and power the AI economy. The divestment is expected to complete later this year.

The eight city centre data centres included in this divestment are located in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and two in London. The data centres were part of the assets Colt gained with its acquisition of Lumen EMEA in 2023.

The colocation business of approximately 400 customers will transfer from Colt as part of the divestment. The majority of these customers also purchase network products from Colt and will remain Colt customers.

Colt will enter into a partnership with NorthC and will retain network equipment in the divested data centres as part of its global digital infrastructure, which connects 32,000 buildings, spans over 40 countries, reaches more than 275 Points of Presence (PoPs) and includes 10 subsea cable systems. Colt also co-manages AS3356, the most widely-peered internet network in the world.

NorthC is an independent provider of regional data centres in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and distinguishes itself through its strong local presence in the various regions, high-quality data centre services and connectivity solutions for businesses, IT and managed cloud service providers, institutions and government organisations.

Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt Technology Services, says, “We’re pleased to have entered into this agreement to divest our data centres to NorthC and to the funds managed by DWS Group. The sale will enable us to focus on our strategic imperatives of driving growth, delivering exceptional customer experience and building a sustainable network for the future.”

The envisaged transaction is subject to customary conditions.

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