Kao Data launches public data centre information hub

Author: Joe Peck

Data centre developer and operator Kao Data has launched Data Centres Explained, a free website developed with industry trade associations techUK and the Data Centre Alliance (DCA) to answer the public’s questions about data centres.

The website provides information about what data centres are, how they operate, and their role in everyday digital services, including online banking, contactless payments, streaming, navigation, and healthcare.

As new data centre developments are proposed across the UK, the resource aims to address questions from local communities about water use, electricity bills, noise, traffic, and construction.

Visitors can explore a data centre zone by zone, from the data hall to the infrastructure that supports digital services. The website also includes a question-and-answer section covering topics such as water pressure, electricity costs, backup generators, and power cuts.

A separate section explains the stages of construction, how disruption is managed, and the potential for skilled jobs and supply chain opportunities.

Website invites questions from the public

The platform includes a portal where visitors can submit questions, with answers added to the resource over time. Kao Data says content is informed by official data and guidance, industry standards, and technical experts, as well as being checked before publication and reviewed as technology and policy develop.

Spencer Lamb, CEO at Kao Data, comments, “Data centres are the infrastructure behind the digital world and play a pivotal role in modern life; they are as fundamental as our roads, water systems, railways, and power lines.

“There is a lot of conflicting information about data centres and people deserve clear and honest answers about what these buildings are, how they work, and what they mean for the places they live.

“Data Centres Explained gives everyone somewhere to find those answers, and I would encourage our peers across the industry to lend their knowledge to it. The more expert voices we bring together, the more useful and trusted this resource will become.”

Matt Evans, COO at techUK, adds, “Data centres have only recently moved into the public eyeline and, like most new infrastructure assets, they are often misunderstood. Data Centres Explained is exactly the type of open and clear engagement that help us all understand the role that they play in our lives, how they operate, and what they can contribute to local communities.”

Venessa Moffat, Managing Director at the DCA, says, “Data Centres Explained is an important step towards building public trust through greater transparency, addressing the questions communities genuinely care about and replacing speculation with understanding.”

Kao Data is inviting data centre operators, engineers, suppliers, planners, and sustainability specialists to contribute answers within their areas of expertise. Contributors will be credited, with the aim of developing a shared resource for the industry and local communities.

For more from Kao Data, click here.