Data centres: are you missing a trick?

Down in the Docklands, behind concrete walls and unwavering security, lives the internet. Powering our ever growing digital world, data centres have become a sector investors cannot ignore – but often do. That needs to change. The data centre market is an unusual one. Take-up has reached unprecedented levels while supply growth shows no signs of stopping. As high-speed internet usage grows exponentially, the demand for places to house that data also grows – and where there is demand, there is opportunity. But there are challenges. Data centres are high-maintenance buildings, caught between strict demands for both security and 100% uptime. Power failures are not tolerated. Security breaches even less so. And the sector is littered with unfamiliar terms – ideas like co-location, ecosystems and take-up measured in megawatts are all a reminder that this sector is unlike any other. EG dives into the world of data centres to explore the key things you need to understand in a silently booming market. To send feedback, e-mail karl.tomusk@egi.co.uk or tweet @karltomusk or @estatesgazette