News

Nasuni achieves AWS Energy & Utilities Competency status

Nasuni, a unified file data platform company, has announced that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Energy & Utilities Competency status. This designation recognises that Nasuni has demonstrated expertise in helping customers leverage AWS cloud technology to transform complex systems and accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy and utilities future. To receive the designation, AWS Partners undergo a rigorous technical validation process, including a customer reference audit. The AWS Energy & Utilities Competency provides energy and utilities customers the ability to more easily select skilled partners to help accelerate their digital transformations. "Our strategic collaboration with AWS is redefining how energy companies harness seismic data,” comments Michael Sotnick, SVP of Business & Corporate Development at Nasuni. “Together, we’re removing traditional infrastructure barriers and unlocking faster, smarter subsurface decisions. By integrating Nasuni’s global unified file data platform with the power of AWS solutions including Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Bedrock, and Amazon Q, we’re helping upstream operators accelerate time to first oil, boost capital efficiency, and prepare for the next era of data-driven exploration." AWS says it is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify AWS Partners with industry experience and expertise. By bringing together Nasuni’s cloud-native file data platform with Amazon S3 and other AWS services, the company claims energy customers could eliminate data silos, reduce interpretation cycle times, and unlock the value of seismic data for AI-driven exploration. For more from Nasuni, click here.

Bitrise first mobile DevOps platform to launch data centre in EU

Bitrise, a mobile DevOps platform, today announced plans to launch a data centre in the Netherlands in a response to increased demand for data residency in the European Union (EU). The new data centre will be the first in the EU operated by a DevOps platform, aiming to provide businesses with a fully-hosted and managed solution to meet the stringent data security and compliance requirements of the region. Bitrise will invest $3 million (£2.2 million) in the project, supporting the anticipated 22% year-on-year growth in European data centre capacity in 2025 as the continent focuses on operational resilience and data sovereignty. “In an era of geopolitical volatility and increasing regulatory complexity, mobile innovation in Europe demands sovereignty, speed, and security,” announces Barnabás Birmacher, CEO and Co-founder of Bitrise. “By launching the first EU-hosted DevOps platform, Bitrise is giving customers total control over their data, ensuring compliance and empowering them to scale development faster and more securely.” This investment in an Amsterdam-based data centre marks a step forwards in enhancing support for EU customers. By replicating the data centre model used in the US, Bitrise intends to deploy the same high-performance Apple M4 and Linux-based infrastructure in Europe, allowing businesses to choose their data residency and meet risk and compliance requirements. This expansion is a direct response to the growing demand from EU-based companies and global brands operating in the region. By strengthening data security and sovereignty, customers should have access to the tools they need to scale development securely and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. “With data sovereignty becoming a critical priority for European businesses, Bitrise’s move to launch an EU-based data centre couldn’t be more timely," comments Reza Malekzadeh, General Partner at Partech and Bitrise board member. "Bitrise is setting a new standard for DevOps in Europe by giving companies the ability to meet stringent regulatory requirements without compromising on speed or innovation.” Recent regulatory changes and international data transfer challenges have created a complex environment for companies operating across borders. The data centre market in Europe is estimated to grow by $291.7 billion (£214.3 billion) from 2024 to 2028, driven by demand for local data processing and storage solutions. European companies in security-sensitive and regulated industries often rely on cloud providers in the US or spend millions to build their own local infrastructure. This has created a major gap in the market for compliant, hosted solutions. “We recognise the critical need for sovereign hosting solutions for mobile CI/CD infrastructure in the EU,” Barnabás says. “This move not only strengthens our presence in Europe, but underscores our commitment to solving the complex challenges our partners face, allowing them to innovate and scale without compromise.” Bitrise’s Amsterdam data centre will, according to the company, emulate Bitrise’s existing infrastructure model, providing:• Access to the fastest Apple Silicon and Linux machines for iOS and Android.• Advanced physical and network security measures.• Full compliance with EU data protection standards.• High-speed connectivity to ensure rapid build times. The data centre will support all Bitrise products and services, aiming to allow customers to build, test, and automate their applications without source code ever leaving the EU. In contrast to the majority of DevOps providers with US-only hosting capabilities, Bitrise’s expansion, the company claims, creates a DevOps platform that caters to data residency and digital operational resilience requirements. “By filling this gap in the market, we’re addressing a critical need for businesses throughout the EU,” Barnabás continues. “Our ability to quickly deploy and scale infrastructure based on our successful US model allows us to move fast and establish a strong presence in this underserved market.”

Chemists create molecular magnet, boosting data storage by 100x

Scientists at The University of Manchester have designed a molecule that can remember magnetic information at the highest temperature ever recorded for this kind of material. In a boon for the future of data storage technologies, the researchers have made a new single-molecule magnet that retains its magnetic memory up to 100 Kelvin (-173 °C) – around the temperature of the moon at night. The finding, published in the journal Nature, is a significant advancement on the previous record of 80 Kelvin (-193 °C). While still a long way from working in a standard freezer, or at room temperature, data storage at 100 Kelvin could be feasible in huge data centres, such as those used by Google. If perfected, these single-molecule magnets could pack vast amounts of information into incredibly small spaces – possibly more than three terabytes of data per square centimetre. That’s around half a million TikTok videos squeezed into a hard drive that’s the size of a postage stamp. The research was led by The University of Manchester, with computational modelling led by the Australian National University (ANU). David Mills, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at The University of Manchester, comments, “This research showcases the power of chemists to deliberately design and build molecules with targeted properties. The results are an exciting prospect for the use of single-molecule magnets in data storage media that is 100 times more dense than the absolute limit of current technologies. “Although the new magnet still needs cooling far below room temperature, it is now well above the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 Kelvin), which is a readily available coolant. So, while we won’t be seeing this type of data storage in our mobile phones for a while, it does make storing information in huge data centres more feasible.” Magnetic materials have long played an important role in data storage technologies. Currently, hard drives store data by magnetising tiny regions made up of many atoms all working together to retain memory. Single-molecule magnets can store information individually and don’t need help from any neighbouring atoms to retain their memory, offering the potential for incredibly high data density. But, until now, the challenge has always been the incredibly cold temperatures needed in order for them to function. The key to the new magnets’ success is the unique structure, with the element dysprosium located between two nitrogen atoms. These three atoms are arranged almost in a straight line – a configuration predicted to boost magnetic performance, but now realised for the first time. Usually, when dysprosium is bonded to only two nitrogen atoms it tends to form molecules with more bent or irregular shapes. In the new molecule, the researchers added a chemical group called an alkene that acts like a molecular pin, binding to dysprosium to hold the structure in place. The team at the Australian National University developed a new theoretical model to simulate the molecule’s magnetic behaviour to allow them to explain why this particular molecular magnet performs so well compared to previous designs. Now, the researchers will use these results as a blueprint to guide the design of even better molecular magnets.

LSC completes new dark fibre route in Kansas City

Light Source Communications (LSC), an owner-operator of networks serving enterprises throughout the US, has announced it has completed work on a new dark fibre network in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, aiming to deliver new opportunities to the region’s tech-rich ecosystem at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) and other high-performance computing (HPC) technologies are driving demand for greater connectivity. The 35-mile metro ring already has a major hyperscaler as the anchor tenant, with more on the way, as well as connections to four data centres so far. The Kansas City route is the first of LSC’s four new network builds to be completed this year, with projects in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tulsa also on track to be finished in 2025. “We’re thrilled to raise a toast to this exciting milestone,” says Debra Freitas, CEO of LSC. “Expanding into the Kansas City market is a key step in our strategic growth across high-demand US regions. As AI and HPC continue to drive unprecedented connectivity needs, we remain committed to delivering high-capacity, low-latency solutions to organisations of all sizes. As a carrier-neutral, customer-agnostic provider, LSC is proud to support the evolving demands of today’s digital economy.” Kansas City is the third-fastest-growing tech market in the US and has emerged as a hub for data centre projects. The area’s infrastructure, existing tech sector, and trained workforce make it a prime location for LSC’s dark fibre network. The route will be entirely underground with a high fibre count and conduit system. The Kansas City project follows a similar pattern to LSC’s other dark fibre builds underway. In Las Vegas, the company is building a 60-mile route that intends to bring hyper-connectivity to one of the country’s fastest-growing data centre markets. The Phoenix network will encompass 300+ miles and 15 rings. In Tulsa, LSC is adding 80 miles of new fibre to its existing 50-mile network. In addition to all of the networks being underground, all are anchored by a hyperscale tenant.

IBM, RIKEN unveil first Quantum System Two outside of the US

IBM, an American multinational technology corporation, and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, have unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two ever to be deployed outside of the United States and beyond an IBM quantum data centre. The availability of this system also marks a milestone as the first quantum computer to be co-located with RIKEN's supercomputer, Fugaku — one of the most powerful classical systems on Earth. This effort is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), an organisation under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI)'s 'Development of Integrated Utilisation Technology for Quantum and Supercomputers' as part of the 'Project for Research and Development of Enhanced Infrastructures for Post 5G Information and Communications Systems.' IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is powered by IBM's 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron, one of the company's quantum processors. IBM Heron's quality as measured by the two-qubit error rate, across a 100-qubit layered circuit, is 3x10-3 — which, the company claims, is 10 times better than the previous generation 127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle. IBM Heron's speed, as measured by the CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) metric, is 250,000, which would reflect another 10 times improvement in the past year over IBM Eagle. At a scale of 156 qubits, with these quality and speed metrics, Heron is the most performant quantum processor in the world. This latest Heron is capable of running quantum circuits that are beyond brute-force simulations on classical computers, and its connection to Fugaku will enable RIKEN teams to use quantum-centric supercomputing approaches to push forward research on advanced algorithms, such as fundamental chemistry problems. The new IBM Quantum System Two is co-located with Fugaku within the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), one of Japan's high-performance computing (HPC) centres. The computers are linked through a high-speed network at the fundamental instruction level to form a proving ground for quantum-centric supercomputing. This low-level integration aims to allow RIKEN and IBM engineers to develop parallelised workloads, low-latency classical-quantum communication protocols, and advanced compilation passes and libraries. Because quantum and classical systems will ultimately offer different computational strengths, this hopes to allow each paradigm to perform the parts of an algorithm for which it is best suited. This new development expands IBM's global fleet of quantum computers and was officially launched during a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (24 June 2025) in Kobe, Japan. The event featured opening remarks from RIKEN President Makoto Gonokami; Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President of IBM Quantum; Akio Yamaguchi, General Manager of IBM Japan; as well as local parliament members and representatives from the Kobe Prefecture and City, METI, NEDO, and MEXT. "The future of computing is quantum-centric and with our partners at RIKEN we are taking a big step forward to make this vision a reality," claims Jay Gambetta, VP, IBM Quantum. "The new IBM Quantum System Two, powered by our latest Heron processor and connected to Fugaku, will allow scientists and engineers to push the limits of what is possible." "By combining Fugaku and the IBM Quantum System Two, RIKEN aims to lead Japan into a new era of high-performance computing," says Mitsuhisa Sato, Division Director of the Quantum-HPC Hybrid Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science. "Our mission is to develop and demonstrate practical quantum-HPC hybrid workflows that can be explored by both the scientific community and industry. The connection of these two systems enables us to take critical steps toward realising this vision." The installation of IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is poised to expand previous efforts by RIKEN and IBM researchers as they seek to discover algorithms that offer quantum advantage: the point at which a quantum computer can solve a problem faster, cheaper, or more accurately than any known classical method. This includes work recently featured on the cover of Science Advances, based on sample-based quantum diagonalisation (SQD) techniques to accurately model the electronic structure of iron sulphides, a compound present widely in nature and organic systems. The ability to realistically model such a complex system is essential for many problems in chemistry, and was historically believed to require fault-tolerant quantum computers. SQD workflows are among the first demonstrations of how the near-term quantum computers of today can provide scientific value when integrated with powerful classical infrastructure. For more from IBM, click here.

Arelion connects EcoDataCenter to Nordic AI superhighway

Arelion, a Swedish telecommunications company formerly known as Telia Carrier, today announced it is upgrading its existing Point-of-Presence (PoP) at Swedish sustainable data centre operator EcoDataCenter’s Falun, Sweden, data centre campus with the latest-generation open optical line systems. Arelion’s network enhancement enables connectivity to its AI superhighway in the Nordics, leveraging scalable 400G and 800G coherent optics. This upgrade continues Arelion’s investment in its Scandinavian network by enhancing capacity and diversity to support its wholesale and enterprise customers’ AI deployments. EcoDataCenter builds data centres designed for demanding AI workloads and is used by global AI companies such as DeepL and CoreWeave. The company is also currently experiencing growth across the region. “Arelion’s investment is crucial in bolstering Scandinavia’s latest wave of technological innovation amid the region’s AI market growth,” argues Peter Michelson, CEO of EcoDataCenter. “By providing high-capacity connectivity to sustainable data centre infrastructure, we will collaborate to empower customers with Tier-1 services that support the AI ecosystem, enabling digital transformation across vital industries.” Sweden’s AI sector is experiencing growing investment, with analysts projecting the market will reach $6.35 billion by 2031, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.24%. The country’s data centre market is also growing to support these applications through digital infrastructure, with experts estimating it will reach $2.73 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 10.39%. This growth is most likely driven by the higher availability of sustainable power in Sweden, with the country’s existing data centre capacity totalling over 130 MW, which is critical for supporting energy-demanding AI workloads. Arelion is offering its enhanced capabilities with delivery starting early Q3 2025. “This strategic deployment continues our Scandinavian network investments, allowing us to provide the vital backbone connectivity needed to support AI and cloud applications in the region’s booming technology markets,” comments Patrik Andreasson, Head of Sales Nordic & CEE at Arelion. “Our partnership combines high-capacity services with energy-efficient infrastructure, accelerating our customers’ AI deployments to spur further innovation across the Nordics.” For more from EcoDataCenter, click here.

Colt DCS achieves 90% renewable energy procurement

Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a data centre operator that designs, builds, and operates data centres for global hyperscalers and large enterprises, has published its third sustainability report, highlighting the company's performance over 2024. Last year, Colt DCS achieved 90% renewable energy procurement across its global estate, representing an 8% increase from the previous year. The data centre provider also reduced its absolute greenhouse gas emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3, market-based) by 32% compared to the 2019 base year, while continuing to expand its global footprint by adding new operational sites in Osaka Keihanna, Japan, and Mumbai, India. Today, the company operates 13 data centres across Europe and APAC, with an additional 19 facilities in development. 2024 marked the launch of a joint venture for Colt DCS with RMZ Infrastructure in India, increasing the data centre provider’s growth and capacity in high-demand markets. Individually, Scope 2 (market-based) emissions were reduced to zero through 100% renewable electricity procurement. While Scope 3 emissions, which represent 98% of the company’s total footprint in 2024, fell by 26% compared to the base year. In addition, Colt DCS under Colt Group maintained a Platinum score in its EcoVadis 2024 submission, marking the third consecutive year the data centre provider has ranked in the top 1% of organisations assessed for their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. In 2024, the company was awarded the 'Best Colocation Provider Sustainability Innovation of the Year' at the Data Center Solutions (DCS) Awards. Further sustainability achievements in 2024 include:• 95% of waste diverted from landfill at London North (UK).• 91% of suppliers by emissions have science-based climate targets in place.• Striving to design all new facilities with renewable electricity supply, high energy efficient cooling systems, and - where local infrastructure allows - waste heat recovery.The data centre provider’s long-term climate goal is to achieve a 90% absolute reduction in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions from 2019 levels by 2045. Key enablers include maintaining 100% renewable electricity, deploying scalable and sustainable data centres, and minimising embodied carbon in new developments. • The company launched the DCS Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and introduced the AI-powered “MyLearningHub” to support continuous learning and professional development.• 87% of employees recommend Colt DCS as a great place to work (up from 83% in 2023). • With increasing threats faced by critical infrastructure, the data centre provider has prioritised security, achieving ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications.• Colt DCS introduced a dedicated Risk Policy & Procedure, identifying and assessing sustainability risk using its Climate Change Risk Register, country-specific or function-specific risk registers, and the ESG risk register.• In 2024, the company also developed bottom-up risk registers across support functions and operations. “For Colt DCS, 2024 was a year of significant growth. When we started our hyperscale journey nine years ago, the cloud market was $111 billion. Today, it is over $760 billion and is projected to grow even further due to the rising demand in streaming, cloud, and artificial intelligence tools and services,” comments Niclas Sanfridsson, CEO of Colt DCS. “I’m especially proud that we were able to help our customers scale and accelerate during this time of transformation by staying true to our core values: trust, respect, unite, sustain, and trailblaze”. The data centre provider says it remains committed to its net zero by 2045 ambition, with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and responsible growth. The company will continue to update its Global Reference Design and sustainability roadmap in line with best practices and regulatory requirements. For more from Colt DCS, click here.

New CEO of R&M announced

A new era of leadership is beginning at R&M, a globally active Swiss developer and provider of infrastructure solutions for data and communications networks. The family-owned company has appointed Roger Baumann (58) as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Michel Riva, CEO of R&M since 2012, has decided to scale back his professional activities and focus on consulting and advisory board mandates. The handover took place on 23 June 2025, following a short transitional phase. "Over the past 13 years, Michel Riva has developed our company in a foresighted, goal-orientated manner with great personal commitment. Under his aegis, R&M established itself on the ICT market as an internationally recognised provider of network infrastructures," says Martin Reichle on behalf of the owner family. Under the responsibility of Michel Riva, R&M’s sales increased by 60% in 2022 to CHF 298 million (£271.75 million). The number of employees has almost tripled. The Group’s largest markets are Switzerland, Germany, Eastern, Southern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and India. "Under the leadership of Michel Riva, R&M has further established itself as a global player in the ICT market. Stakeholders were impressed by his focus on internationalisation, segment, and growth strategy, as well as overall solutions," says Chairman of the Board of Directors Thomas A. Ernst. "Together with the management team, Michel Riva has developed R&M from a component manufacturer to a provider of integrated solutions for public networks, data centres, and local area networks." "Being CEO of R&M was the best job of my career," comments Michel Riva as he bids farewell. Roger Baumann has decades of international management, technology, and sales experience in the manufacturing industry. He began his career in 1998 at Siemens, where he worked, among other things, as Head of Global Business Segments and as Managing Director of the market organisation in Taiwan. From this position, he is familiar with the infrastructure solutions for building automation, such as those offered by R&M in the LAN division. Since 2009, Roger has been CEO and Managing Director of three medium-sized, globally active technology companies. Most recently, he led Büchi Labortechnik in Flawil. He studied electrical engineering at ETH Zurich and completed his doctorate in microtechnology at EPFL Lausanne. He also completed the Executive MBA program as well as the Board Program at the University of St Gallen. "I am impressed by the high level of expertise, the perceptible passion, and the global team spirit of the R&M team," says Roger, describing his impression after his first few weeks at the company. For more from R&M, click here.

LINX and ISOC Ghana announce partnership

The London Internet Exchange (LINX), an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) operator of digital infrastructure across the UK, Africa, and the United States, has stepped into a new community partnership with the Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter, marking a milestone in the development of Ghana’s digital infrastructure. This collaboration coincides with the launch of LINX Accra, a new interconnection hub designed to enhance internet performance, connectivity, and resilience across West Africa. The partnership aims to build on the existing internet community in Ghana through a series of joint initiatives, including community engagement events, technical training programs, and knowledge-sharing activities. These efforts are geared towards empowering local stakeholders to come together and advance the region’s internet ecosystem. LINX claims the new hub is expected to provide a platform for local and international networks to interconnect, improving latency, reducing costs, and boosting overall internet quality in the region. Nurani Nimpuno, Head of Global Engagement for LINX, comments, “We are excited to work alongside the Internet Society Ghana Chapter to support capacity building in Ghana. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to building a more robust and accessible internet for all.” ISOC Ghana is a chartered Chapter of the Internet Society, which is a non-profit organisation founded in 1992 to provide leadership in internet-related standards, education, and policy. It says it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the internet for the benefit of the people in Ghana and throughout the world. Maud Adjeley Ashont Elliot, President of the ISOC Ghana Chapter, states, “This partnership with LINX is a timely and welcome development as it brings renewed energy to our mission and opens up new avenues for collaboration, learning, and impact. We welcome the arrival of LINX into Ghana and look forward to a long-term partnership for the good of the local internet.” The Ghana Network Operators’ Group (GhNOG) Workshop, organised by the ISOC Ghana Chapter, is a technical training initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of Ghana’s internet technical community. Designed to meet evolving industry demands, the workshop serves ISOC members and the wider internet ecosystem in Ghana. It seeks to provide a platform to attract new members, foster collaboration, and introduce courses and initiatives from the global Internet Society. For more from LINX, click here.

Aggreko bolsters industrial HVAC support with new appointment

British multinational temporary power generation and temperature control company Aggreko has strengthened its data centres sector industrial HVAC support with the appointment of Chris Smith as Head of Temperature Control for the UK and Ireland. With over 22 years of experience at Aggreko working across Europe, Chris is set to support data centre professionals with temporary and supplementary cooling, heating, and dehumidification requirements. The appointment comes as companies across the UK and Ireland continue to experience operational and process temperature challenges caused by changing weather patterns throughout the year. With high temperature spikes expected over the summer, there is increasing strain on HVAC systems across industries, resulting in further demand for reliable solutions while balancing vital maintenance and upgrade schedules. To support sites across the UK with this, Aggreko says it has invested in its capacity to support data centre professionals, both in increasing its fleet of industrial HVAC systems and developing the knowledge to correctly implement the equipment. Chris Smith, new Head of Temperature Control for Aggreko UK and Ireland, comments, “It’s great to lead our expert teams in supporting the data centre industry, alongside contractors, engineers, and energy managers working within them, [and] across the UK and Ireland with their industrial HVAC and process temperature needs. With unrivalled experience in the power sector, Aggreko is best placed to ensure that our solutions operate as efficiently and sustainably as possible to help our customers prevent any challenges that may present themselves throughout the year. “We are able to also achieve better optimisation and efficiency to deliver both cost and environmental savings through data collected through our control and monitoring solution, Aggreko Connect. I’m ready to hit the ground running and help our customers future-proof their industrial HVAC process temperature solutions so that they can combat any weather throughout the year.” Alan Dunne, Managing Director for Aggreko UK and Ireland, adds, “With his extensive expertise, it’s great to be bringing Chris into the UK and Ireland team to lead with our industrial HVAC process temperature offering at a crucial time where solutions are needed. “Helping provide the data centre industry with efficient and resilient solutions, Chris and our expert engineering teams will be able to support our customers through the entire process. Through this, we will be able to implement our leading solutions and strengthen our position as leaders to the industry.” For more from Aggreko, click here.