Infrastructure & Hardware

ODATA announces launch of largest data centre in Mexico

ODATA, an Aligned Data Centers company and a provider of data centre construction and operations in Latin America, has announced the launch of the first facility at its DC QR03 campus – the company’s largest data centre development in Mexico. Located in the PyME Industrial Park in Querétaro, the new campus represents a total investment of over $3 billion (£2.3bn) and will provide up to 300 megawatts (MW) of IT capacity upon full build-out. The site will feature five buildings across nearly 275,000 square metres. The first building offers 72 MW of IT power and is readily available to support the growing demands of cloud and AI providers. This milestone reportedly establishes ODATA as Mexico’s leading hyperscale data centre provider for this scale of capacity and near-term power availability. In February 2025, ODATA successfully energised 200 MW in the first phase of campus development – addressing one of the country’s primary challenges for data centre growth: the grid’s historical lag in meeting technological demand. With significant expansion underway towards 400 MW, ODATA states that this investment will offer crucial relief to Mexico’s data centre power supply challenges, especially in Querétaro. “With three anchor hyperscale clients already committed, QR03 is an established, highly connected campus and a critical interconnection hub for Querétaro and Mexico,” says Ricardo Alário, CEO of ODATA. “With abundant power and a strong presence of major cloud and AI providers, we anticipate this campus will play a central role in the development of Mexico’s digital infrastructure.” Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and technological innovation, ODATA is introducing its proprietary Delta Cube (Delta³) cooling innovation to the Mexican market for the first time. Previously implemented in Brazil, Delta³ is a patented air-cooling technology developed by ODATA’s parent company, Aligned Data Centers. Designed to support power densities of up to 50kW per rack, Delta³ allows ODATA’s data centres to maximise space utilisation and significantly reduce the load required to cool them, thereby decreasing energy consumption. Unlike conventional methods that simply push cold air into data halls, Delta³ captures and removes heat directly at the source, creating a hyper-scalable and extremely efficient environment that dynamically adapts to the IT load demands of customers. Additionally, the flexible design of QR03 and Delta³ allows seamless liquid cooling integration, creating hybrid solutions ready for next-gen AI power demands. Beyond supporting the growth of cloud and AI infrastructure in Mexico, QR03 is strategically positioned to serve US market demand. Querétaro’s proximity and connectivity to key US data centre hubs, coupled with current energy constraints in certain US markets, position the campus as a vital resource for regional digital expansion. For more from ODATA, click here.

CommScope and Altnets powering the fibre takeover

As part of the UK Government’s Project Gigabit, internet service providers (ISPs) are working to upgrade the nation’s data infrastructure. As one of the UK’s leading fibre suppliers, Brighton-based Altnets has already been at the forefront of bridging the UK’s digital divide. Altnets and CommScope will accelerate these fibre rollouts, improve network resilience, and support the next phase of digital connectivity. Additionally, supplying CommScope’s products paves the way for Altnets to support the rollout of FTTX networks and central offices, which will be of key importance for the future of the nation’s economic prosperity. Paul Britnell, Co-Founder of Altnets, says, “We’re incredibly excited to support CommScope’s initiative to further support the UK telecoms sector, helping ISPs build faster and more resilient networks for the digital future. We are delivering high-density fibre connectivity solutions that are instrumental in FttX networks. Altnets is proud to play a key role in advancing the UK’s digital infrastructure." CommScope's central office fibre optic and broadband solutions give network operators and ISPs access to the scalable, high-quality infrastructure needed to satisfy the increasing demand for ultra-fast broadband and connectivity in the UK. By harnessing Altnets' established market position and logistical expertise, these advanced connectivity solutions will be available throughout the UK. Ronald Van der Kraan, VP Broadband – EMEA, comments, “We are pleased to be working with Altnets, who have vast industry expertise in full fibre products. We look forward to collaborating more to level up the UK’s digital infrastructure.” As a fibre optic specialist, Altnets is in a unique position to efficiently supply CommScope's products to UK clients, guaranteeing that network operators, and ISPs have access to advanced fibre networks with GPON, XGS-PON, and high-density fibre solutions to meet rising bandwidth demands, alongside high-capacity 5G and wireless deployments for fronthaul, backhaul, and small cells. Network operators must prioritise complete authority over their Optical Distribution Frames and fibre management systems and expand into high-processing Central Offices to accommodate the growing demand for data consumption. CommScope and Altnets ensure that the UK stays at the forefront of connectivity by providing innovative solutions that will drive the next phase of digital infrastructure. For more from Altnets, click here.

Kao Data and PepTalk to champion culture at new data centre

Kao Data, a specialist developer and operator of data centres engineered for AI and advanced computing, has partnered with JCA Engineering and global workforce engagement platform, PepTalk, to bring a first-of-its-kind, people-first approach to the construction of its new KLON-03 data centre, which allows AI users to deploy multi-megawatts (MWs) of direct-to-chip, liquid cooled infrastructure, alongside traditional air-cooled servers within the same Technology Suite. As AI workloads continue to reshape global infrastructure demands, Kao Data is setting a new benchmark - combining cutting-edge engineering with a proactive focus on team wellbeing, safety, and performance. By embedding PepTalk’s real-time workforce intelligence into daily site operations, the project aims to elevate decision-making, anticipate risks early, and foster a stronger, safer site culture from the ground up. PepTalk’s platform gathers live, anonymous feedback directly from the workforce, offering leadership a constant pulse on team morale, communication, and engagement. Instead of using feedback purely as a sentiment check, the system enables site managers to identify blind spots, unlock opportunities for improvement, and build a shared culture of accountability. “As we build KLON-03, one of the UK’s most advanced AI-ready facilities, we want the same high standards applied to our technology reflected in the way we support people on site,” says Gavin Fernandez, Commercial & Delivery Director at Kao Data. “PepTalk’s insight helps us stay close to what matters - safety, morale, and team alignment - so we can deliver smarter and faster, with care.” PepTalk has supported major construction projects across Europe and the US, helping reduce incidents, improve retention, and drive measurable cultural improvements. “This partnership with Kao Data and JCA Engineering reflects a shared belief that world-class infrastructure is built not just by engineers, but by engaged, motivated teams,” says James Brogan, CEO and Co-founder of PepTalk. “With PepTalk embedded from day one, KLON-03 is leading the way in how culture can power performance.” For more from Kao Data, click here.

Innodisk launches SSD series for data centre applications

Innodisk, an industrial-grade flash storage provider, has announced the launch of its latest PCIe Gen5 SSD series, which is designed to meet the OCP Data Centre NVMe SSD spec v2.0 and the increasing demands of AI model training, big data analytics, and data-intensive environments. The new series supports multiple form factors, including U.2, as well as EDSFF E1.S, E3.S, and the brand new E3.L for data centre applications, catering to the diverse needs of enterprise and data centre environments. Innodisk tells us that the new series marks a new chapter for the company in terms of further fulfilling enterprise demands. The Innodisk PCIe Gen5 SSD, built with the latest PCIe Gen 5 x4 interface and NVMe 2.0 protocol, is designed to overcome the speed and latency limitations of traditional storage interfaces. With up to 128TB of high density NAND storage, it delivers speeds of up to 14GB/s (read) and 10GB/s (write), enabling lightning-fast data transfers for data-intensive applications. Enterprise data centres managing large-scale storage deployments and multi-tiered environments often require out-of-band and batch management capabilities, which present growing challenges. Innodisk PCIe Gen5 SSD addresses these demands with NVMe-MI for streamlined SSD management and multi namespace support, ensuring scalable and efficient storage operations. To ensure high quality and alignment with market trends, the PCIe Gen5 SSD aims to enhance integration with industry-leading data centre standards, such as OCP Data Centre NVMe SSD spec v2.0. Additionally, it is intended to be built for seamless integration with VMware, optimising compatibility with virtualisedenvironments and overall system performance. Innodisk’s PCIe Gen5 SSD also features advanced security mechanisms, ensuring robust data protection and seamless integration. Secure Boot technology authenticates digital signatures during firmware updates, preventing unauthorised modifications and ensuring that only trusted firmware is executed.

Nokia partners with atNorth to support cloud services in Finland

atNorth, a Nordic colocation, high-performance computing and AI service provider, has announced plans to support Nokia’s cloud infrastructure with a multi megawatt deployment at its FIN02 site in Finland (pictured above). The contract spans over 12 years and includes potential extensions totalling over 10MW. Nokia, one of the world’s leading telecommunications and networking technology companies, is headquartered in Finland and has long utilised Finnish data centres, leveraging the country’s cool climate and renewable energy sources to ensure the sustainability of its workloads. In fact, the business was ranked as the most sustainable telecoms and communications company in the world earlier this year. Nokia and atNorth have built a long-standing relationship through atNorth’s use of Nokia data centre switches that power its HPCaaS offering, which currently runs from its data centres in Iceland and Sweden. Well versed in the evolving data centre landscape, Nokia was looking for a data centre partner that could accommodate its high-density infrastructure needs without compromising its environmental credentials. The business required capacity suitable for high-density workloads of more than 130kw per rack, available at speed and with the potential for future scalability. Located in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, atNorth’s newest data centre, FIN02, runs on renewable energy and features robust power and liquid cooling capabilities. Built for scalability, its modular design supports high-performance workloads. A collaboration with Kesko Corporation enables waste heat recycling to heat a nearby store, further lowering its carbon footprint. “atNorth was able to meet our complex technical requirements at speed without compromising on our sustainability goals,” says Marika Mentula, Vice President for Network Infrastructure North Europe at Nokia. “By helping support our cloud infrastructure at atNorth’s FIN02 data center, we can deliver high-performance infrastructure that supports our most demanding applications.” Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth, adds, “As the data centre industry continues to grow at record speed, it’s clear that businesses are increasingly seeking the full package - sustainable, secure, infrastructure that can scale rapidly. Our longstanding partnership with Nokia, rooted in the hardware demands of our HPCaaS offering and built on a shared commitment to sustainability, is a testament to that. It adds to a growing list of globally recognized companies that trust atNorth with their mission-critical data and rely on us to deliver best-in-class service.” The news follows atNorth’s recent announcement of its heat reuse partnership with retail giant, Kesko Corporation at its FIN02 data centre in Finland. The business has two other metro sites near Helsinki, and a fourth ‘mega’ site - which is currently in development in Kouvola - is expected to be operational by the end of 2025. For more from atNorth, click here.

Arteco launches direct-to-chip liquid cooling for data centres

Arteco, a provider of liquid cooling innovations, today announced its expansion into the data centre and electronics market with its Zitrec EC brand. The company states that the new brand arrives at a "critical moment", citing the escalating computational demands of today’s powerful technologies - like Generative AI and Large Language Models - which produce unprecedented heat loads which are threatening system performance, energy efficiency, and hardware reliability in the event that improved thermal management solutions aren't implemented. Zitrec EC, which is a versatile portfolio of Mono Propylene Glycol (MPG)-based, water-based and Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG)-based formulations with OAT (Organic Additive Technology), is specifically designed to help tackle these challenges. This advanced range of direct-to-chip coolants is engineered to deliver exceptional thermal performance and energy efficiency, allowing components to operate at higher calculating power without the risk of overheating. Its advanced features provide long-lasting corrosion protection, which can extend equipment lifespan and provide a safeguard against downtime. Zitrec EC therefore simplifies hardware maintenance, Arteco says, while significantly lowering the total cost and complexity of thermal management systems. “In this incredibly exciting era of AI and other technological advancements, we recognised a clear opportunity to combine our decades of cooling expertise with our relentless pursuit of innovation and sustainability, thereby empowering the digital infrastructure of tomorrow,” says Serge Lievens, Technology Manager at Arteco. Alexandre Moireau, General Manager of Arteco, adds, “Our biggest strength in this new Zitrec EC chapter is the same unwavering commitment to product excellence and deep customer intimacy that established us as a trusted leader in the automotive world. In the data centre space, we will continue to proactively co-create with our customers, delivering tailored cooling solutions that meet, and exceed, their most demanding requirements. This is how we want to set new standards in thermal management in the data center and electronics market.” As part of its broader sustainability strategy, Arteco has also announced the upcoming launch of a new bio-based MPG addition to its new Zitrec EC line. This new product complements the existing recycled MPG variant, underscores Arteco’s commitment to environmentally responsible innovation and offers the same product performance and quality as the other products in the Zitrec EC range. For more from Arteco, click here.

Airedale launches AI cooling for data centres

Airedale by Modine, a critical cooling specialist, is now offering an AI-enhanced version of its Cooling System Optimizer. The company believes that the release marks a tangible advancement in cooling and efficiency for high-density data centres. Cooling AI delivers real-time adaptability, predictive intelligence and significant energy savings in response to global data centre industry demand for high-performance, high-efficiency control systems. The patent-pending AI technology utilises a hybrid deep learning model, leveraging machine learning, neural networks and digital twins to maximise efficiency and reduce energy consumption, and enhance operational stability for hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data centres. The Cooling AI system continuously analyses cooling demands, optimises system operations and anticipates future conditions. It works as a supervisory layer to the Optimizer, allowing the building management system (BMS) to handle baseline monitoring functions, with its predictive AI model making proactive adjustments. This ensures the entire system learns from historical data and adheres to the physical laws governing HVAC behaviour. Cooling AI can reduce energy consumption by up to 40%, improving power usage effectiveness (PUE) and driving sustainability gains. Chiller and fan performance is synchronised within the AI-driven data centre cooling control system, improving cooling efficiency and reducing energy use. Furthermore, the reduction in mechanical stress as a result of reduced compressor cycling can extend the equipment life cycle, as well as lower maintenance costs. "As AI-driven computing accelerates, the demand for smarter, scalable and highly efficient cooling infrastructure has never been higher, and it isn't set to stop any time soon," says Reece Thomas, Controls General Manager at Airedale by Modine. "Power densities rise and sustainability expectations will continue to increase, and data centres need cooling solutions that can evolve with them. By embedding AI directly into the control architecture, we are delivering more than just efficiency gains. We are enabling a future where cooling adapts in real time, anticipates challenges before they arise, and continuously improves over time. This is the next frontier in sustainable, high-performance data centre cooling." The new system joins Airedale by Modine's broader suite of cooling technologies designed to meet the needs of the modern data centre. From high-efficiency chillers, precision cooling units and modular fan walls to intelligent controls and airflow management systems, Airedale's solutions are designed to optimise efficiency, reduce energy consumption and enable scalable cooling across the entire data centre ecosystem. Cooling AI is available as a new system or retrofitted to an existing Airedale by Modine Cooling System Optimizer. For more from Airedale by Modine, click here.

Mission Critical Group acquires DVM Power + Control

Mission Critical Group (MCG), a provider of innovative products specialising in design, manufacturing, delivery and service of electrical system solutions, has announced that it has acquired DVM Manufacturing (DVM Power + Control), a manufacturer of low- and medium-voltage electrical distribution equipment. The acquisition significantly expands MCG’s manufacturing footprint and service capabilities in electrical systems for data centres, industrial facilities and other mission critical applications. With 350,000 square feet of production space in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Connecticut, DVM expands MCG’s footprint to over one million square feet of manufacturing capacity. The acquisition also strengthens MCG’s field services, drives innovation, and enhances technical expertise by adding DVM’s skilled workforce, providing customers with more solutions and stronger support. DVM designs and produces low- and medium-voltage electrical distribution equipment, including switchboards, switchgear, relay panels, power distribution units (PDUs), bypasses, power/cooling module 'skid' manufacturing and control systems. Its Naugatuck, Connecticut facility specialises in retrofits, breaker rebuilds and switchgear modernisation, further bolstering MCG’s services and power offerings. “DVM’s expertise advances MCG’s manufacturing and aftermarket services, driving growth and customer satisfaction for our innovative, high-quality solutions,” says Jeff Drees, CEO of Mission Critical Group. “With DVM’s added capacity and technical strengths, we are also expanding our geographic reach, boosting product development and optimising power service offerings to better support data centres and other mission critical environments.” Robert Ricci, CEO of DVM Power + Control, adds, “This partnership is a natural fit, built on a shared commitment to innovation, excellence and customer value. Having worked with MCG’s leadership for 30 years, I can attest to their deep industry knowledge and strategic expertise. This collaboration expands our resources, enhances engineering capabilities and improves career growth, ensuring a stronger future for our team.” DVM will operate as a Mission Critical Group Company alongside JTS and Point Eight Power, continuing to elevate MCG’s leadership in electrical system solutions. As part of the transition, Ricci will continue to lead DVM as its President and oversee MCG’s low- and medium-voltage electrical equipment manufacturing. With five acquisitions in two years, MCG says that this latest addition marks another milestone in its rapid growth, while reinforcing its commitment to innovation and excellence in mission critical solutions. For more from Mission Critical Group, click here.

iGenius launches large sovereign AI data centre

Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure, has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA and renowned AI pioneer, iGenius, to deploy Colosseum, one of the world’s largest NVIDIA DGX AI supercomputers with NVIDIA Grace Blackwell Superchips. Set to deploy in 2025 in Italy, Colosseum will redefine the digital landscape through a first-of-its-kind sovereign AI data centre for regulated workloads. Designed to address the demands of highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare and public administration, Colosseum will embody a fusion of transformative computational power, energy efficiency and data sovereignty, while balancing stringent data security requirements. Colosseum, a NVIDIA DGXPOD, is the latest advancement in a long-standing collaboration between Vertiv and NVIDIA. It is strategically positioned in southern Italy to address regional government requirements, marking a significant milestone in Europe’s AI landscape. “Harnessing the power of NVIDIA's cutting-edge accelerated computing and Vertiv's innovative infrastructure expertise, Colosseum stands as a testament to the transformative potential of sovereign AI,” says Uljan Sharka, CEO of iGenius. “We’re demonstrating how modular systems and software-specific infrastructure enable a new era of mission-critical AI.” Colosseum combines Vertiv's infrastructure management expertise, NVIDIA accelerated computing, and the NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for AI factory design and operations. The deployment will leverage Vertiv’s 360AI reference architecture infrastructure platform for data centre power and cooling that is designed for the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, which was co-developed with NVIDIA and released in late 2024. This modular and scalable system positions iGenius to deploy one of the fastest hyperscale AI supercomputers, and one of the largest to support sovereign AI.Vertiv has also extended its reference design library on its AI Hub with the co-developed data centre power and cooling design for NVIDIA GB300 NVL72. By staying one GPU generation ahead, Vertiv enables customers to plan infrastructure before silicon lands, with deployment-ready designs that anticipate increased rack power densities and repeatable templates for AI factories at scale. “The unit of compute is no longer the chip - it’s the system, the AI Factory,” comments Karsten Winther, President of Vertiv, EMEA. “Through our collaboration with NVIDIA and visionary AI player iGenius, we are proving the efficiency and system-level maturity of delivering the data centre as a unit of compute, unlocking rapid adoption of AI-native power and cooling infrastructure as a catalyst for AI at scale.” “AI is reshaping the data centre landscape, demanding new levels of scale, efficiency and adaptability for global AI factories,” adds Charlie Boyle, Vice President of DGX platforms at NVIDIA. “With physically-based digital twins enabled by NVIDIA Omniverse technologies and Vertiv’s modular design for the iGenius DGX SuperPOD data centre, Colosseum sets a new standard for building supercomputers for the era of AI.” Colosseum was co-designed as a physically accurate digital twin developed with NVIDIA Omniverse technologies, enabling real-time collaboration between Vertiv, iGenius and NVIDIA, to accelerate system-level decisions and compress the design-to-deploy cycle. The Omniverse Blueprint enables real-time simulations, allowing engineers to test and refine designs instantly, rather than waiting for lengthy simulation processes, reducing simulation times from months to hours. Vertiv manufacturing and factory integration processes reduce deployment time by up to 50% compared to traditional data centre builds. This collaborative 3D design process validated the entire infrastructure stack, enabling predictive modelling of thermal load, electrical flow, and site layout - for 132kW liquid-cooled racks to modular power systems - before a single module was built. Vertiv’s AI-ready prefabricated modular data centre solution is designed, manufactured, delivered, installed and commissioned by Vertiv. It includes power, cooling, management, monitoring, service and maintenance offerings, with power and cooling capacity supporting up to 132kW/rack initially, with an ability to scale up as required for future designs. The building shell integrates prefabricated white space inside while deploying full modular grey space outside. This approach offers exceptional scalability and energy efficiency, transforming the way data centres are built and deployed. Colosseum will leverage NVIDIA Mission Control for data centre operations and orchestration and Vertiv Unify to simplify and synchronise building management for AI factories. Vertiv Unify provides: • Real-time orchestration across power, cooling, and compute• Digital twin synchronisation for closed-loop optimisation• AI-ready capabilities that support autonomous decision-making Through its integration of NVIDIA Omniverse technologies, Vertiv Unify enables real-time updates between physical systems and digital models - allowing predictive maintenance, what-if simulations, and scenario testing before operational risk occurs. Colosseum is described as "more than a data centre", and is the template for scalable, repeatable, sovereign AI factories. By combining cloud-scale density, local data control, and modular deployment, it signals the next phase of AI: where inference must be secure, fast, compliant, and distributed. iGenius is building a blueprint with Colosseum designed to be repeated globally, with Vertiv and NVIDIA aligned on future platform support, including DGX GB300 systems and beyond. For more from Vertiv, click here.

Aligned Data Centers breaks ground on Glendale facility

Aligned Data Centers, a technology infrastructure company offering innovative, sustainable and adaptive scale data centres and build-to-scale solutions for global hyperscale and enterprise customers, has broken ground on its PHX-13 facility. The Glendale campus spans 100 acres and represents a significant expansion of Aligned's data centre footprint, the company tells us. At the heart of this development is PHX-13 - one of four planned facilities for the site. To support the campus’s energy needs, the project will incorporate a new 230 kV transmission line provided by Arizona Public Service (APS). “I am excited to see PHX-13 break ground,” says Glendale Mayor, Jerry P. Weiers. “In 2025, data centres are essential to the US economy and future growth. This project and all the benefits it will bring are exciting for our Glendale community.” Aligned says that is committed to sustainability and operational efficiency. The company’s Delta³ air cooling arrays will be utilised in PHX-13 to capture and remove heat at the source, rather than pushing cold air into the data hall like legacy facilities. The data centre will also feature Aligned's patent-pending DeltaFlow liquid cooling system, which delivers excellent performance for AI workloads and supports virtually any density and GPU cloud requirement. Additionally, Aligned will use its closed-loop cooling system, recycling water to significantly reduce water consumption. All of Aligned’s power comes from renewable sources, actively progressing toward the goal of achieving zero-carbon hosting by 2040. In line with this commitment, the Glendale campus is a model of sustainable redevelopment. The site, once a rose farm, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art data centre campus, resulting in a more than 73% reduction in annual water use. Aligned retained the site's unused well rights, allowing groundwater to remain on-site and supporting local ecological balance. This facility, like all of Aligned’s data centres, will leverage its Adaptive Modular Infrastructure (AMI), compared to traditional, stick-built methods. By prefabricating components offsite and delivering them to the site as required, Aligned is enhancing safety, quality, sustainability, and speed. This modular design and construction methodology provides exceptional flexibility, ensuring the longevity of Aligned asset's and delivering lasting benefits to the Glendale community. For more from Aligned Data Centers, click here.