What Selling European Data Centres Will Mean for Colt
Colt Technology Services (Colt) is divesting the data centres it gained via its acquisition of Lumen Technologies.
These facilities are in critical city centre locations across Europe, with six being sold to data centre provider NorthC and two in London being divested to a UK-based data centre business owned by funds which are managed by DWS Group.
The sale is designed to expand NorthC’s European data centre footprint and will enable Colt to focus on its core business strategy, which is delivering sustainable digital infrastructure to drive customer success and power the AI economy.
The divestment is expected to complete later in 2025.
“We’re pleased to have entered into this agreement to divest our data centres to NorthC and to the funds managed by DWS Group,” shares Keri Gilder, CEO at Colt Technology Services.
“The sale will enable us to focus on our strategic imperatives of driving growth, delivering exceptional customer experience and building a sustainable network for the future.”
Unpacking Colt’s new strategic focus
The eight city centre data centres included in Colt’s plans are located in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and two in London.
These facilities were part of the assets that Colt gained through the acquisition of Lumen EMEA in 2023.
Approximately 400 customers will transfer from Colt as part of its colocation business within this deal, with the majority of these customers also purchasing network products from Colt and remaining Colt customers.
Colt will also enter into a partnership with NorthC and retain network equipment in the divested data centres. This is part of its global digital infrastructure, which connects 32,000 buildings spans more than 40 countries, reaches more than 275 Points of Presence (PoPs) and includes ten subsea cable systems.
Colt also co-manages AS3356, the most widely-peered internet network in the world.
NorthC is a leading independent provider of regional data centres in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and distinguishes itself through its strong local presence.
It offers high-quality data centre services and connectivity solutions for businesses, IT and managed cloud service providers, institutions and government organisations.
For NorthC, a deal of this scale represents a significant milestone in its expansion strategy across Europe.
“Thanks to this step, we are strengthening our local presence and can provide even more organizations in the Netherlands and Germany with reliable, secure and future-proof digital infrastructure,” Alexandra Schless, CEO at NorthC Group, shared via LinkedIn.
Building a greener future
Colt has a longstanding commitment to operational excellence and innovation, building state-of-the-art facilities that are designed to meet the evolving needs of critical business sectors.
The company has been pivoting towards a more sustainable approach for some time, having committed to achieving net zero by 2030.
Through this divestment, Colt expects to keep evolving in Europe’s digital transformation landscape, moving away from direct services and instead towards high-capacity networking with a sustainability focus.
“This is the future of business and our customers can rest assured that we will continually work hard to drive down emissions across our entire value chain,” the company shares on its environmental sustainability webpage.
“We must all act together for the greater good of our planet.”
Explore the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter for the latest insights, trends and expert analysis.
Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand