News

‘Businesses sleepwalking into cyber catastrophe’

Security leaders have warned that ‘businesses are sleepwalking into a cyber catastrophe’ due to the rapid adoption of AI tools, alongside lacking privacy and ethics controls, amid a wave of recent high-profile cyber-attacks and data leaks. Arkadiy Ukolov, Co-Founder and CEO of Ulla Technology, a global HR platform, cautioned that many businesses are putting their data at risk by rushing off to use third-party AI tools as the main system to streamline operations. The ongoing fallout from the M&S cyber-attack, alongside other major hits against Co-op, Dior, and Harrods, has highlighted the severity of data risks and how data is protected, forcing security teams to re-evaluate their protocols. Speaking from the Viva Technology event in Paris, Arkadiy says, “Data breaches and cyber threats are relentless so it’s vital that industries such as HR, law, government, and beyond are securing every aspect of their technology stack to protect their data. Unfortunately, the speed of AI adoption means that many businesses are sleepwalking into a cyber catastrophe, leaving critical gaps in their data protection processes and putting both sensitive internal and customer data at risk. “Even in an area such as meeting transcripts, there are sensitive conversations around company financials or workplace policy updates that cannot be exposed, requiring privacy-first collection and storage methods for data to protect against a breach. Understanding the risks and putting in place enterprise-grade security and data privacy can help businesses better guard against these risks, even with the added exposure from AI.” Viva Technology, hosted this year between 11 and 14 June in Paris, is Europe’s largest startups and technology event, attracting over 150,000 attendees and 11,000 startups each year. Key themes this year include the pace of AI innovation, regulation, the importance of human control, vertical industry applications for AI, and data security.

Aruba boosts connectivity with new EXA Infrastructure PoP

Aruba - a provider in the data centre, cloud, and digital services sector - has announced the activation of a new Point of Presence (PoP) in partnership with EXA Infrastructure, one of Europe’s largest dedicated digital infrastructure platforms. The new PoP is located at Aruba’s Hyper Cloud Data Centre (IT4) in Rome, Italy. The announcement was made this week at NAM 2025 - the annual event organised by Namex, the main Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Central Italy. As a result of this new PoP, Aruba’s IT4 data centre campus in Rome is now directly integrated into EXA Infrastructure’s global network via two fibre optic links. This dual-route architecture aims to ensure maximum security, operational continuity, and resilience. The connections, capable of reaching speeds of up to 400Gbps, are designed to support advanced connectivity needs. Aruba's IT4 campus, located in the capital, covers an area of 74,000m². Once fully operational, the campus will be able to host up to five independent data centres. The site is designed to deliver a total IT capacity of 30MW, with redundancy levels of up to 2N or higher. The campus' first data centre, DC-A, is already operational and has obtained the ANSI/TIA-942-C Rating 4 Constructed Facility certification. The entire site is connected to the Aruba data centres in Arezzo (IT1 and IT2) and Bergamo (IT3) via a modern backbone network. EXA Infrastructure, headquartered in London, is an international operator that owns and manages over 155,000km of fibre network in 37 countries, including six transatlantic cables connecting Europe and North America. "The activation of EXA Infrastructure's new Point of Presence is a key step in building an increasingly connected, resilient, and high-performance digital ecosystem," comments Andrea Colangelo, Director of Network Infrastructure at Aruba. "This type of integration between data centre infrastructure and next-generation networks is essential for attracting international companies and enabling innovative services in the region, strengthening Rome's role as a technological hub in the Mediterranean." For more from Aruba, click here.

CyrusOne plans new London facility

CyrusOne, a global data centre developer and operator, has announced plans for a brand-new data centre facility on the outskirts of London, with sustainability, community, and biodiversity at its core. As the company's sixth location in the UK, LON6 is set to deliver 90 megawatts of IT capacity. Located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, the LON6 data centre will deliver IT capacity to 30,000m² of technical space across four double-storey and two single-storey data halls. The development is expected to break ground in Q3 2026. With initial power due to arrive mid 2027, the first capacity is expected to be delivered in early 2028. “This development marks an important step in our European growth journey,” says Matt Pullen, EVP and Managing Director, Europe, CyrusOne. “We’re thrilled to be announcing our plans for this new facility and continuing our growth in London. As demand for digital services continues to accelerate, larger facilities are necessary to provide the economies of scale that customers need, while also ensuring maximum functionality and mitigated risk of downtime. The UK market enables us to respond to these requirements, and we look forward to continuing our expansion and supporting the Government to establish the UK as a centre of excellence in digital services for technology innovation.” Secretary of State for Science Peter Kyle comments, “This fantastic new facility will help to power many of our online tasks, from navigating with online maps, to messaging and shopping online and we are committed to growing this vital infrastructure and giving the UK the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century. “Through our AI Opportunities Action Plan, we promised to transform these digital powerhouses into platforms for progress, creating jobs and unlocking breakthroughs that will benefit people across the country. As a result of this new facility in Buckinghamshire, local people will benefit from the creation of 540 long-term new jobs, including roles in engineering, sustainability, and security, and over 30 apprenticeship opportunities for young people – turbocharging economic growth in the area and helping us deliver on our Plan for Change.” Set into the ground, with green roofs and planted walls, the facility is designed to be integrated into the landscape. It aims to deliver a 71% Biodiversity Net Gain for local habitats – seven times higher than the 10% required by government regulation – alongside other community benefits. The data centre is designed to achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” certification and will provide on-site photovoltaic panels to deliver 64% of the regulated office energy demand. Powered from Iver Grid Supply Point, the design uses 100% certified renewable electricity provided by SSEN. The project has the expressed aim to "restore and reconnect the landscape," seeking to improve the site’s biodiversity through the creation of an ecologically rich parkland and new habitats, "enhancing the quality" of the Colne Valley Regional Park. Extensive landscaping plans include the planting of 670 trees (including 145 fruit trees) over 7,000m² of woodland and 90,600m² of mixed meadow and acid grassland. 72,800m² of the newly-created green biodiverse space will be accessible to the public, with an edible landscape, a biodiverse lake, woodland walks, and a cycle path for the local community. CyrusOne has also committed to a long-term Landscape Ecological Management Plan which aims to ensure maintenance and continued public access to the space for a minimum of 25 years. A ‘hidden valley’ will provide an access road around the building, with landscaped terraces providing daylight, fresh air, and views from the exposed timber framed customer and employee offices. Rainwater collection is to be treated and reused within the site, alongside free air cooling from ambient air whenever possible, and half of the designated parking spaces will provide on-site charging hubs for electric cars. The proposal, the company says, is responsive to the needs of the local community and provides a range of benefits, encapsulated in a total investment of more than £1.2 billion into the local and national economy. The campus is set to include a stone gabion clad training centre with industry-specific facilities for employees and students sitting within the campus, yet outside of the secure perimeter for easy access. It is estimated that over 580 full time equivalent (FTE) construction jobs will be created over the development phase and a further 540 FTE skilled employees will be required by CyrusOne and its customers to maintain and run the facility once fully operational. “We’ve been working hand-in-hand with Apt, Atelier Ten, Cameo Landscape Architects, HDR, Ramboll, Cratus, Montagu Evans, and Radcliffes Environmental on the proposals and designs, alongside Longcross Land, who provided investment guidance,” continues Matt. “It’s been a fantastic experience collaborating with industry-leading firms aligned to our sustainability- and community-focused vision, and we look forward to seeing the plans come to life. Additionally, we’ve received support from HM Treasury, the UK Department of Business & Trade (DBT), Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), and the Office for Investment (OFI) which has been critical in progressing with the project and reaching this important milestone.” For more from CyrusOne, click here.

AI summit warns of ‘skills cliff edge’

Industry leaders gathered during London Tech Week at the House of Lords this week for a high-level summit on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the jobs market and wider UK economy, with speakers warning of the "skills cliff edge." Chaired by Steven George-Hilley of Centropy PR, the debate saw experts from leading law firms, financial services, and tech startups discuss how AI is reshaping the workforce and the risks and talent pipeline required to maximise its economic benefits. Cyber expert Achi Lewis-Dhaliwal, AVP UK, EMEA & India, Absolute Security, says, “The financial services industry houses vast quantities of sensitive data that is constantly subject to threats from malicious cyber actors, especially with the rise of AI-powered attacks. These House of Lords discussions should be grounded in the understanding of cyber risks against the UK’s most important industries, and the cyber resilience postures that can ensure they remain operational.” Leigh Allen, Strategic Advisor, Cellebrite, comments, “AI is a critical enabler in unlocking digital evidence and significantly reducing investigation times, greatly aiding police forces and combating national security threats. At Cellebrite, we combine ethical access to digital evidence alongside artificial intelligence to equip agencies to respond and counteract digital threats to make our society a safer place.” James Tuttiett, Sales Director UK & EMEA at FDM Group, adds, “There’s a lack of a united vision and strategy across all industries when it comes to AI. We’re seeing that most organisations are still in the experimental phase, testing the ways that AI can influence and improve their business functions while driving greater efficiency. Whilst there is not a one size fits all approach being adapted, what is clear is that the integration of AI is immanent and creating an AI-literate workforce for the future is vital. “As we look to the impact that AI will have on future jobs, more emphasis needs to be placed on our understanding of the questions we ask of AI and not just the answers it gives. Embracing AI, and understanding how prompt engineering can improve all of our careers, is essential.” Tech expert Arkadiy Ukolov, Founder of Ulla Technology, argues, “Privacy and data security must remain a critical focus as AI adoption continues to skyrocket, especially as [the] most popular AI tools send data to third-party AI providers which often use client data to train models. When it comes to sensitive meeting discussions, for example, it creates a significant risk of data leaks, so placing ethics at the centre of House of Lords discussions is vital as AI develops.” Stuart Harvey, CEO of Datactics, notes, “In the rush to adopt AI tools, we must first recognise the importance of data quality and readiness to underpin high-performing AI. Many organisations still operate in fragmented data environments, risking inaccurate model outputs and unreliable responses. Without data readiness, AI cannot be successful.” Chris Davison, CEO of NavLive, concludes, “AI is at the forefront of the UK’s growth, [including] transformative applications such as 2D and 3D building modelling in real-time to help expedite developments and facilitate sustainable building practices. By creating accurate real-time spatial data across the lifecycle of a building, architects, engineers, and construction professionals can save significant time and money.”

ABB and Applied Digital announce partnership

Applied Digital, a builder and operator of data centres, has launched an infrastructure partnership with ABB, a multinational corporation specialising in industrial automation and electrification products, at the company’s greenfield 400 MW campus in North Dakota, United States. The collaboration aims to innovate energy-efficient solutions to meet the needs of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As part of this long-term partnership, the first orders were booked in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. Further financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. Central to the partnership is a new medium voltage power architecture using ABB’s HiPerGuard Medium Voltage Static Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The HiPerGuard technology seeks to help AI data centres increase power density while compressing electrical plant footprints and increasing energy efficiency. The partnership covers the complete design and development of the site’s electrical infrastructure. Conventional data centres use low voltage power distribution and UPS systems. Switching to medium voltage for the UPS system and power distribution should enable data centres to scale more efficiently, expanding in 25 MW blocks. With fewer parts and cabling, installation should be simpler and reliability higher. "What we are building with ABB is going to completely change the way our industry designs large-scale data centres. By leveraging ABB's cutting-edge technology and global reach, we are able to redefine the electrical infrastructure landscape and meet the growing demands to support large-scale AI Factories,” claims Todd Gale, Chief Development Officer, Applied Digital. Massimiliano Cifalitti, Smart Power President, ABB Electrification, comments, "Partnerships like this are accelerating the timeline for AI-ready data centres with more competitive, resilient power infrastructures. ABB’s technology is designed for peak performance with dedicated capacity across our global production network and industry-leading innovation. ABB teams are ready to deliver at scale and at speed.” For more from ABB, click here.

Ciena publishes report on wave services demand

Ciena, an American networking systems and software company specialising in optical networking equipment, has compiled a new report on wavelength services that explores the key drivers of the need for high-speed connectivity. The report examines the critical role of wave services in enabling the expansion of interconnected data centres driven by artificial intelligence (AI), the growing importance of low latency and data sovereignty for AI workloads, and the build-out of terrestrial and critical submarine network infrastructure. It also highlights the pivotal role of managed optical fibre network (MOFN) business models to expand high-speed connectivity into new geographies and markets. “As cloud providers scale data centre networks to address AI performance requirements, wave services must also evolve in terms of capacity, coverage, latency, and route diversity,” says Mark Bieberich, Vice President of Portfolio Marketing, Ciena. “Demand for wave services is growing steadily worldwide as data centre network expansion requires increasingly high-capacity interconnection among various types of network operators and end users.” The total wave services circuits market in the US grew nearly 8% in 2024 and is projected to grow steadily through 2029, based on research from Vertical Systems Group. It observed an increasing use of wave services for cloud on-ramps, which is demonstrated by the metro geographical scope (41%) along with the dominance of retail customers (58%). The report states that, from 2024 to 2029, growth in 400G circuits is set to soar, while 100G circuits will see a steady rise and 10G circuits will experience modest growth. Wave services are the foundation of most high-capacity networks, particularly when connectivity to or between data centres is involved. High bandwidth, protocol transparency, and low latency are some of their fundamental characteristics. Wave services can either act as end services or support higher-layer services. Based on Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology, they enable massive data-transmission bandwidth over a fibre pair. Currently, wave services are dominated by 100G and 400G connections. There is still a high volume of 10G services deployed, but they are being upgraded to 100G at a steady pace. Ciena’s report also looks at the growth of submarine cables. It highlights that a record 161,100km of submarine cables are planned to become ready for service (RFS) in 2025, dwarfing the previous high of 121,000km becoming RFS back in 2001. “With infrastructure expanding rapidly and resource constraints increasingly shaping growth, anticipating demand has never been more important,” continues Mark. “Network operators providing wave services can seize this moment by proactively routing new submarine cables to emerging data centres and innovating to address these challenges. Differentiation through greater route diversity, low-latency connectivity, and compelling managed services is key to staying ahead.” The report provides an analysis of the current industry landscape, evaluating key trends and identifying factors poised to influence the market in the coming years.

Black & White Engineering appoints country lead

Black & White Engineering, a data centre design consultancy, has appointed a new country lead to head up its growing Frankfurt operation and accelerate expansion in the German market. Timm Weis joins as Country Manager following more than a decade in MEP design for mission-critical infrastructure, bringing experience of delivering data centre projects across Germany for global clients. The Frankfurt base, which opened in late 2023, is expected to add between 30 and 50 engineers over the next three years. The office has already secured a position in the German market, supporting hyperscale and large-campus developments ranging from 30MW to 800MW of IT capacity. The team acts as a lead designer on projects, overseeing the full design process and coordination with local authorities. Timm comments, “Germany’s data centre market is developing rapidly and our role is to help clients stay ahead, whether that’s navigating local planning processes, improving energy performance, or delivering complex builds at scale. We’re building a team in Frankfurt with the technical expertise and local understanding needed to support that growth with precision and purpose. “My immediate focus is on attracting the right talent and ensuring Black & White continues to meet the high standards expected by clients in this market. We’ve already established strong foundations here and the potential for further growth, especially in taking on lead design roles and supporting the retrofit of legacy data centres, is huge.” The Frankfurt office’s remit also includes optimising legacy data centres to meet energy efficiency targets set out in Germany’s 2023 Energy Efficiency Act. With a high concentration of older sites in Frankfurt, this represents a significant area for retrofit and redesign work. Steven Horn, UK and Europe Director at Black & White Engineering, says, “Timm’s appointment marks the next step in scaling our operations and delivering the best of Black & White to clients in one of Europe’s most dynamic data centre markets. “Frankfurt sits at the heart of Germany’s digital infrastructure ecosystem and our growth here reflects both demand from clients and our strategy to be where the projects are, with the right people on the ground.” Black & White Engineering has a team of over 800 employees across the UK, EU, Asia, and the UAE, with 93% of the business dedicated to data centre design. For more from Black & White, click here.

Schneider Electric launches new data centre solutions

Schneider Electric, a player in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced new data centre solutions designed with the aim of meeting the demands of next-generation AI cluster architectures. Adding to its EcoStruxure Data Center Solutions portfolio, the company has introduced a Prefabricated Modular EcoStruxure Pod Data Center solution that consolidates infrastructure for liquid cooling, high-power busway, and high-density NetShelter Racks. In addition, the EcoStruxure Rack Solutions incorporate rack configurations and frameworks designed to accelerate High Performance Computing (HPC) and AI data centre deployments. “The sheer power and density required for AI clusters create bottlenecks that demand a new approach to data centre architecture,” says Himamshu Prasad, Senior Vice President of EcoStruxure IT, Transactional & Edge, and Energy Storage Center of Excellence at Schneider Electric. “Customers need integrated infrastructure solutions that not only handle extreme thermal loads and dynamic power profiles but also deploy rapidly, scale predictably, and operate efficiently and sustainably. Our innovative next-generation EcoStruxure solutions that support NVIDIA technology address these critical requirements head on.” Here is an overview of the new products:● Prefabricated Modular EcoStruxure Pod Data Center - Prefabricated, scalable pod architecture that seeks to enable operators to deploy high-density racks, supporting pods up to 1MW, at scale. ● EcoStruxure Rack Solutions - High-density rack systems which adapt to EIA, ORV3, and NVIDIA MGX modular design standards approved by certain IT chip and server manufacturers. According to the company, configurations accommodate an array of power and cooling distribution schemes and employ Motivair in-rack liquid cooling, as well as new rack and power distribution products including: o NetShelter SX Advanced Enclosureo NetShelter Rack PDU Advancedo NetShelter Open Architecture “Schneider Electric’s innovative solutions provide the reliable, scalable infrastructure our customers need to accelerate their AI initiatives,” claims Vladimir Troy, Vice President of Data Center Engineering, Operations, Enterprise Software, and Cloud Services at NVIDIA. “Together, we’re addressing the rapidly growing demands of AI factories — from kilowatt to megawatt-scale racks — and delivering future-proof solutions that maximise scalability, density, and efficiency.” For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Connectors for data centres can improve energy efficiency

Energy costs can account for more than 50% of the total operating expenses of a data centre. To calculate the exact effect of power usage from connectors in data centres, HARTING has compared the power consumption of three different connector solutions in its independently accredited test laboratory. One of the connectors tested was the HARTING Han-Eco. The other two were CEE (IEC 60309) plugs from different manufacturers. The results showed that the Han-Eco connector reduced power wastage by up to 50% by using low-impedance contacts. These contacts reduce the power lost in connections and significantly improve the Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) of data centres. As a result, one hyperscale data centre with 15,000 racks could achieve annual power consumption savings of around £100,000. Download your free whitepaper now to learn how HARTING connectors can improve your power usage efficiency (PUE) and reduce the lifetime costs of operating a data centre. For more from HARTING, click here.

ZTE unveils AI data centre technologies

ZTE Corporation, a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company, has debuted its latest AI-driven data centre technologies at Data Centre World Frankfurt 2025. At the heart of ZTE's exhibition was its vision for the "Elastic & Efficient AI Data Center." The display featured an integrated ecosystem of liquid-cooled cabinets, computing micro-modules, and containerised technology. With these, ZTE is hoping to be able to reduce data centre construction time by over 40%. The company also presented its upgraded power supply architecture. The power distribution system supports room-level and rack-level elastic power supply, seeking to cut down the physical footprint by 40% and achieve system efficiency levels as high as 98% in ECO mode. In tandem, its liquid cooling technologies have been designed to try to help bring down PUE to as low as 1.1. ZTE's AI-powered energy management system aims to leverage system-wide sensing, autonomous learning, and efficiency modelling to deliver real-time optimisation strategies. The company operates in more than 20 countries and has an end-to-end delivery model covering consulting, planning, design, construction, and ongoing maintenance. It uses digital tools like BIM for smart design, a global procurement network, and a team of over 200 certified professionals. Its AI-powered O&M platform, iDCIM, intends to enable predictive maintenance, helping - according to the company - reduce operational costs by up to 50%. ZTE's Intelligent Computing Infrastructure segment at DCW introduced the latest R5200 G6, R5300 G6, and R6500 G6 servers, alongside the presentation of AiCube, an AI computing solution tailored for edge scenarios. Sustainability took a prominent role at this year's exhibition. In its "Smart PV & ESS for a Green Future" section, ZTE presented its strategy for integrating renewable energy into data centre design. Through photovoltaic and energy storage systems, the company seeks to enable energy savings across the data centre life cycle - such as in Turkey, where ZTE deployed solar energy technology. "Our end-to-end solutions reflect a strategic focus on intelligence, sustainability, and global scalability," says Kan Jie, GM of Data Center Product at ZTE. "At Data Centre World Frankfurt 2025, we're showcasing how ZTE's innovations are helping enterprises accelerate their journey towards digital and green transformation." For more from ZTE, click here.