CW+ Premium Content/Computer Weekly

The cloak of invisibility under which the datacentre industry operates suits enterprises and colocation providers from a security and operational scrutiny perspective, but it also has its drawbacks. The industry’s preference for secrecy is often cited as a reason why the key role it plays in keeping the world’s increasingly digital economy ticking over sometimes seems to pass governments by, and makes it difficult for industry players to get their voices heard on policy issues that may impact them directly and negatively. For these reasons, a concerted effort has been made in recent years to raise the profile of the industry by lobbyists and trade associations across Europe, while balancing the need for operators to retain a level of secrecy with regard to where their facilities are and whose data sits inside them. And there have been some notable signs of progress on this front across the continent, with datacentres in some countries – including Denmark, Germany, France, Norway and the UK – now classified as critical national ...