NTT is opening up its latest data centre in the UK today, with the London 1 Data Centre officially coming online and tripling its presence in the market.
Located in Dagenham, East London, NTT’s London 1 Data Centre will rocket the company to the third largest data centre company globally. It’s hoping to grow its position even further later this year with the opening of another data centre in Hemel Hempstead, dubbed the Hemel Hempstead 4 Data Centre.
NTT expects 100 people with technical and operational skills will be employed at London 1 Data Center when it is fully operational with clients. It’s also important to the UK’s IT industry, with NTT having invested over £500 million in the development of data centres in the UK in the coming years.
Dagenham, East London was chosen for London 1 Data Center due to its proximity to the Docklands, which is established as the UK’s internet hub and backbone for the global internet network that facilitates the majority of the London Internet Exchange’s (LINX) infrastructure.
When fully operational, the London 1 Data Centre will have 25,600 sqm of IT space and a maximum IT load of 64 MW. It will provide businesses with N+1 UPS systems, generator backup, as well as highly redundant cooling systems. Additionally, the data centre includes a Technology Experience Lab, which will be used to test new technologies and validate hybrid cloud services and innovations faster and at a lower cost.
Gerry Grimstone, minister for investment, commented, “World-class digital infrastructure projects are fundamental to our wider digital and investment strategies. Businesses are increasingly demanding infrastructure like this to operate innovatively, securely and efficiently. NTT’s continued commitment to the UK will help us to build and solidify our reputation as a leader in technological innovation in the industries of the future that will help us build back better.”
The opening of the NTT London 1 Data Centre will play well with the UK’s prime minister, thanks to its sustainability credentials. NTT says that this data centre has been built with sustainability and security in mind. It’s using the latest technology which removes the need for compressors and refrigerants. Additionally, the data centre will deliver a power usage effectiveness of 1.2, which is aligned with industry best practice; and uses smaller generators to generate fewer greenhouse gases. NTT will only use guaranteed renewable power throughout the site as well.
Masaaki Moribayashi, senior executive vice president, Services for NTT Ltd, commented, “The London 1 Data Centre is the latest addition to our NTT global portfolio. Offering flexible, scalable and secure infrastructure along with customisable solutions, London 1 has been designed to accommodate a wide range of NTT clients and partners, from large scale Cloud/SaaS providers to enterprise clients who require full-stack services such as managed hybrid cloud solutions with global network services delivered from an industry leading and carrier neutral colocation facility. It is a great advantage that we can provide a variety of cloud infrastructure services such as private cloud, public cloud, and colocation within the same data centre.”
Florian Winkler, CEO of the Global Data Centres EMEA division of NTT Ltd, concluded, “We’re extremely proud to be opening London 1 Data Centre. UK data centres are a critical enabler of global business and ensure business continuity 365 days a year. The pandemic has demonstrated the vital importance of effective connectivity and reliable infrastructure for businesses to operate.”
