Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved ComputerWeekly’s best articles of the day https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Sat, 13 Jun 2026 05:47:47 GMT https://www.computerweekly.com editor@computerweekly.com <p>With all local government agencies in the UK facing the need to do more with a lot less, Lincolnshire County Council has embarked on a programme to deliver and manage a modernised software-defined wide area network (WAN) throughout the county.</p> <p>Situated in the northeast midlands of England, the mainly rural Lincolnshire county covers just over 2.6 million square miles, with a population of around 1.12 million people. As England’s fourth largest county council, <a href="https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/">Lincolnshire County Council</a> employs more than 6,000 people and delivers a range of public services, including Adult and Children’s Social Care, Highways and Transport, Environmental Services, Education, and Fire and Rescue services, across 200 sites.</p> <p>The new network will aim to provide improved&nbsp;resilience&nbsp;and secure integration with cloud-based services across all council sites. The deployment will also support including <a href="https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lincolnshire-fire-rescue">Lincolnshire Fire &amp; Rescue</a>, with centralised health and social care network (HSCN) access.</p> <p>Explaining the reasons for the project, <a href="https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/">Lincolnshire County Council</a> CIO Tom Baker said: “Our vision is to build a technological ecosystem that not only supports our ongoing operational needs but meets the expectations of our citizens in digital delivery as a time of local government change.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The work to implement the WAN will be carried out by <a title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/kUf1CyP6mEtJpYZOVCPC9cxfvr7?domain=exponential-e.com" href="https://www.exponential-e.com/industry/government">Exponential-e</a><u>,</u> a&nbsp;UK provider of&nbsp;sovereign&nbsp;cloud, connectivity, communications and cyber security solutions, has been awarded a five-year contract, procured under Crown Commercial Services (CCS) <a href="https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6116">Network Services 3 Framework</a>.</p> <p>Noting that the company was an expert with technical ability and proven public sector expertise, CIO Baker noted that Exponential-e will be critical in improving the council’s ability to manage ongoing and accelerated change.&nbsp;</p> <p>Exponential-e will replace the council’s existing outdated Public Services Network (PSN) infrastructure with a fully managed Cisco <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635495/SASE-SD-WAN-evolve-as-enterprises-prioritise-unified-network-security">software-defined wide area network</a> (SD-WAN). This is intended to deliver a unified, centrally orchestrated, secure and high-performing network environment, designed to support the council’s long-term digital strategy, enabling greater agility, improved resilience and secure integration with cloud-based services.</p> <p>The solution will also integrate with the council’s operational and security platforms, incorporating secure-by-design principles, centralised monitoring, incident-response systems, automated failover capabilities, dynamic routing and flexible network segmentation. This is meant to support a zero-trust security approach and rapid onboard of new sites.&nbsp;</p> <p>The architecture will be centrally managed via a structured service desk model to provide encrypted connectivity across all locations. It will also support critical national infrastructure (CNI) services including Lincolnshire Fire &amp; Rescue with encrypted integration and centralised HSCN access. It is also designed to enable scalability and flexibility for future organisational and technological change.</p> <p>The contract was signed in March 2026 and will run until March 2031. Implementation&nbsp;has&nbsp;begun, with service go-live dates to be confirmed as part of the phased deployment programme.&nbsp;</p> <p>Commenting on the project, Afshin Attari, director of public sector and unified platforms at Exponential-e, said: “We are proud to partner with Lincolnshire County Council to deliver a modern, resilient and secure network infrastructure that supports the delivery of critical public services across the county.</p> <p>“By implementing a centrally managed SD-WAN architecture, the council will benefit from greater agility, enhanced security and improved operational resilience, while creating a scalable, sovereign platform capable of supporting future innovation and evolving digital service requirements.”&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about SD-WAN</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640937/Cato-Networks-unveils-modular-adoption-model-for-SASE-platform">Cato Networks unveils modular adoption model for SASE platform</a>: SD-WAN, SSE, AI security and UZTNA standalone modules at heart of a converged platform that unlocks operational simplicity, resilient connectivity and stronger security.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634553/Qatar-Airways-checks-in-SD-WAN-to-take-operations-to-higher-altitude">Qatar Airways checks in SD-WAN to take operations to higher altitude</a>: MENA airline’s worldwide roll-out of airline technology provider’s software-defined wide-area network claimed to set a benchmark for aviation connectivity and performance.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635495/SASE-SD-WAN-evolve-as-enterprises-prioritise-unified-network-security">SASE, SD-WAN evolve as enterprises prioritise unified network security</a>: Research confirms trend that software-defined wide-area network implementations are increasingly tied to security, with the continual rise of cyber security incidents worldwide only accelerating this dynamic.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632181/Zen-Internet-launches-Meraki-to-deliver-SD-WAN-portfolio">Zen Internet launches Meraki to deliver SD-WAN portfolio</a>: Zen Internet introduces software-defined wide-area network offer to address needs of businesses as IT budgets come under increasing under pressure while cyber threats rise.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Lincolnshire County Council to replace legacy PSN infrastructure with unified, high-performing network environment, enabling greater agility https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Lincoln-City-Cathedral-Lincolnshire-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366644316/Lincolnshire-County-Council-upgrades-wide-area-network-services Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:25:00 GMT <p>After<b> </b>generating significant <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637470/2025-a-record-year-for-CityFibre">commercial and technological momentum over the past 12 months</a>, UK independent full-fibre platform CityFibre has revealed that it has connected over one million premises to its multi-gigabit broadband network.</p> <p>Over the past decade, <a href="https://cityfibre.com/">CityFibre</a> has built a full-fibre digital infrastructure that now reaches nearly five million premises, delivering multi-gigabit speeds, unrivalled capacity and much-needed competition.</p> <p>Claiming to be the UK’s largest independent wholesale network, it is the host network for several leading gigabit broadband providers, including Sky, Vodafone and TalkTalk, along with dozens of challenger brands.</p> <p>Alongside its full-fibre broadband services, CityFibre is also a provider of critical national infrastructure, and has contracts with mobile operators, enterprises and local authorities to connect almost 16,000 UK sites, including schools, hospitals and GP surgeries.</p> <p>As part of its stated commitment to connect every part of the community, CityFibre also announced a digital literacy initiative, with plans to reach more than one million primary-age learners with a digital toolkit to build confidence, curiosity and foundational digital skills. Working in partnership with education experts at <a href="https://www.8billionideas.com/">8billionideas</a>, the initiative will roll out The Tech Toolkit – a creative, classroom-ready resource – to around 5,000 schools each year to reach one million primary school children by 2030.</p> <p>Commenting on the landmark number of connections, CityFibre CEO Simon Holden said: “We have built a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640022/CityFibre-AllPoints-Fibre-introduce-multi-gigabit-FTTP">nationwide, full-fibre network</a> to be proud of and, today, CityFibre is trusted by millions to power their digital lives. The UK shifted up a gear with the arrival of the altnets, and CityFibre continues to challenge the incumbents and deliver the benefits of competition to households, businesses and partners right across the country.”</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> CityFibre is trusted by millions to power their digital lives. The UK shifted up a gear with the arrival of the altnets, and CityFibre continues to challenge the incumbents and deliver the benefits of competition to households, businesses and partners right across the country </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Simon Holden, CityFibre</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>UK telecoms minister Liz Lloyd added: “This milestone shows the difference the government’s pro-investment environment is making, helping bring fast, reliable broadband to homes and businesses in some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach communities.</p> <p>“Our investment in broadband infrastructure, including through Project Gigabit, is helping companies like CityFibre reach more communities, faster. We’ll continue to remove barriers to roll-out, and back the investment needed to deliver the digital infrastructure people rely on every day – whether that’s working, learning, running a business, or staying connected with friends and family.”</p> <p>The milestone in connectivity follows a strong 2025 for the company, with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637470/2025-a-record-year-for-CityFibre">yearly trading results showing new highs</a> in customer growth and profitability.</p> <p>For the year ended 31 December 2025, it reported revenues of £170m, up 25% year-on-year, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) increased by 460% to £29m, reflecting accelerated take-up across the network. In addition, CityFibre exited the year strongly, with annualised run rates over the fourth quarter of £200m revenue and over £50m adjusted Ebitda.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the end of the year, CityFibre had exceeded 20% penetration across its consumer footprint, with more than 70% of the households that are switching broadband provider moving onto the CityFibre network where available. The fourth quarter saw an average of more than 50,000 new customers installed each month, a 112% increase year-on-year.</p> <p>In March 2026, as part of its aim to bring multi-gigabit broadband speeds to millions of UK homes and businesses, CityFibre launched an 8.5Gb product across its UK-wide full-fibre network, looking to provide internet service providers on its network with “game-changing services” that “power innovation and growth” for businesses and the UK economy.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about UK broadband</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642976/Thousands-of-Essex-premises-to-gain-upgraded-broadband">Thousands of Essex premises to gain upgraded broadband</a>: Latest part of £5bn ultrafast broadband development scheme sees expansion of gigabit roll-out to cover full-fibre blackspots in urban areas, as well as the countryside.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639950/Altnets-force-to-be-reckoned-with-in-UK-broadband">Altnets ‘force to be reckoned with’ in UK broadband</a>: Research shows peers reaching around 19.7 million premises, with more than 3.5 million live connections, outperforming the major providers on customer satisfaction and value.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640374/UK-government-unveils-gigabit-broadband-upgrade-tracker">UK government unveils gigabit broadband upgrade tracker</a>: As full-fibre broadband deployments maintain steady pace across the nation, UK government introduces tool to allow businesses across England and Wales to discover if they are due a government-backed broadband service.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640321/Ofcom-sets-out-regulation-to-push-UK-gigabit-broadband-to-final-phase">Ofcom sets out regulation to push UK gigabit broadband to ‘final phase’</a>: UK communications regulator lays down regulation required to drive full-fibre roll-out through its end phase to universal access across the country, aiming to allow businesses to&nbsp;unlock economic&nbsp;gains.</li> </ul> </div> </div> UK’s largest independent full-fibre platform announces significant landmark with the number of premises connected to its UK-wide broadband network now hitting seven figures https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/CityFibre-connection-hero.png https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643869/CityFibre-breaks-one-million-connections-barrier Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:30:00 GMT <p>South Oxfordshire Council and Vale of White Horse District Council have completed a wholesale migration of digital infrastructure from a decade-long Capita contract to an <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Cloud-computing-services">in-house cloud-native</a> model hosted on Microsoft Azure.</p> <p>The two councils brought their 10-year outsourcing agreement with Capita to an end and brought IT back in-house in 2025. The transition, carried out with the help of Microsoft partner <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642876/Node4-AI-and-agentic-the-future-but-culture-the-key-to-unlock-it">Node4</a>, saw the neighbouring authorities in the south of England decouple from a multi-council shared environment to build a bespoke, cloud-first infrastructure.</p> <p>The relationship with Capita – established in 2015 and live by mid-2016 – originally covered five local authorities, including Hart, Mendip and Havant. While the model was initially promoted for its economies of scale, the authorities found the shared-tenant architecture could stifle innovation and slow down projects. Under the arrangement with Capita, any technical change required a “negotiation” phase and consensus across all participating councils, as updates were rolled out universally.</p> <p>UK councils are increasingly migrating away from single managed service providers or large shared IT infrastructures to avoid supplier lock-in, reduce costs and modernise digital services. This transition usually involves bringing IT management in-house or shifting to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643799/Data-dive-Mapping-the-UK-public-sectors-hyperscale-dependence">cloud-first hosting</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Recent shifts and transformations by UK local authorities include:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Derbyshire County Council migrating hundreds of applications from an ageing local datacentre to Microsoft Azure.&nbsp;</li> <li>Vale of Glamorgan Council initiating a transition to a hybrid cloud environment to improve agility and reduce ongoing reliance on external service providers.&nbsp;</li> <li>London Borough of Havering and the London Borough of Newham decoupling from a shared IT managed service to tailor systems to their own priorities.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Simon Turner, IT and digital services manager at South Oxfordshire Council and Vale of White Horse District Council, said the contract was no longer flexible enough to meet the councils’ requirements.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Our IT needs at the start of the contract were very different to what we need today,” said Turner. “A single supplier providing IT services to five or more authorities has to have a minimum bench line. And of course, changes made within that environment would have to be agreed by the five councils to go forward.</p> <p>“Everyone has their own version of what IT might be, and different councils have different priorities about what they need to achieve. So, different councils wanted to achieve different things.”</p> <p>The councils used the two years before contract expiry in September 2025 to plan a rebuild of their digital ecosystem. Procurement was handled through the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634470/CCS-under-fire-over-anti-SME-supplier-requirements-for-G-Cloud-15">Crown Commercial Service</a> RM6100 Technology Services 3 Lot 2 framework, which allowed the authorities to bypass traditional open tenders and select Node4 based on its Microsoft specialisms. These centred on moving applications and data from virtual machines in Capita’s datacentres to Microsoft Azure.</p> <p>Another core pillar of the project was a hardware refresh that saw nearly 800 laptops upgraded to Windows 11 and connected to the new network. These devices had to be entirely stripped of existing intellectual property, wiped and reimaged to join a new internal network.</p> <p>By deploying Microsoft Intune and Autopilot, the team established a “laptop factory” and rolled out 200 refreshed devices per week. This standardised approach limited individual user downtime to approximately two hours per person over the four-week deployment window.</p> <p>The migration also involved a complex shift of identity management and server infrastructure. The councils moved away from a legacy hybrid Active Directory and System Center Configuration Manager environment to a cloud identity model using Microsoft Entra ID. This shift was accompanied by a wholesale migration of 790 users from a deskbound legacy telephony platform to a cloud-native Microsoft Teams Calling system.</p> <p>While many of the councils’ core applications were already software-as-a-service-based, 14 legacy servers remained in the provider’s datacentres. These were successfully replicated and migrated into Microsoft Azure during what was described as the most critical part of the exit strategy, as it involved mission-critical data for planning and building control services.</p> <p>One planning application, which was 30 years old and highly embedded across both authorities, required an offline period of four weeks for rigorous stress-testing and database administration (DBA) work on legacy Oracle data. Node4’s specialist data services team provided skills to ensure the application could function in a modern cloud environment.</p> <p>The project was completed ahead of the early July target, with all users migrated and the old environment switched off by the end of June. Turner said the transition was seamless, with no missing calls during the telephony cutover – an outcome he described as “quite unusual” for a migration of this scale.</p> <p>Regaining control of the IT environment has also allowed the councils to build a new internal service culture. When the service was first outsourced in 2015, the entire IT team was transferred out of the councils’ control. Bringing the service back in-house required standing up a new service desk team using the Halo platform and expanding internal cyber security resources.</p> <p>Several staff members who had worked on the Capita contract were transferred back to the councils under TUPE arrangements. Turner explains that these colleagues are now “putting their feet under the same desk” but working within a service-led model rather than a contract-led environment. This allows the IT department to reflect the specific priorities of the council rather than deliver a service dictated by a third-party agreement.</p> <p>The councils are now finalising a 30-page ethical artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to govern the future use of Microsoft Copilot and Power BI. This roadmap includes a trial of agentic AI tools within the service desk to drive further efficiencies. Turner notes that while an in-house model may not be cheaper than the previous provider’s economies of scale, the ability to not trail the market justifies the investment.</p> <p>The move also positions the councils for potential local government reorganisation in Oxfordshire. Having an in-house team and a cloud-native stack allows the authorities to adapt to structural changes without the “slowest member of the pack” limitations inherent in multi-party outsourcing contracts.</p> <p>The partnership with Node4 has been extended to include managed DBA services, providing the councils with specialist database depth that would be unaffordable as a full-time internal resource. Turner concludes that the ability to deploy technology at pace to meet business needs as they arise is now the councils’ primary strategic advantage.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about digital transformation in local government</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366638454/Birmingham-Oracle-project-Data-cleansing-and-resourcing-issues">Birmingham Oracle project – data cleansing and resourcing issues</a>: Councillors at audit committee urged to ensure strong project governance, adequate tech staffing levels and change management procedures.&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366546574/Wirral-Council-set-to-deploy-Microsoft-Fabric-data-platform">Wirral Council set to deploy Microsoft Fabric data platform</a>: The platform, which is being developed in collaboration with Simpson Associates, will be used to aid decision-making and improve operations.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> Two councils that were once part of a five-council group outsourced to Capita take back control of their IT to allow for decision-making and IT projects that aren’t bound by the slowest member https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchCompliance/regulatory_needs/compliance_article_005.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643926/Councils-exit-10-year-Capita-deal-to-boost-decision-and-project-velocity Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:57:00 GMT <p>Strengthening digital connectivity between Europe and North Africa, the ViaTunisia subsea cable segment between Marseille in France, and Bizerte in Tunisia has reached ready-for-service (RFS) status, making the transition from construction to full operational availability on “a direct and resilient” new route between Southern Europe and North Africa.</p> <p>Co-financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme, the ViaTunisia project is designed to provide a high-capacity, secure and diversified connectivity route and digital bridge<b> </b>between the two continents. The Grant Agreement, signed in December 2022, provided funding covering 30% of the construction and management costs.</p> <p>The cable extends directly into global infrastructure of leading telco Orange in Marseille, enabling “seamless” interconnection with major European datacentres and international networks.</p> <p>By combining the resilience,&nbsp;security&nbsp;and performance of a global backbone with Marseille’s role as a leading interconnection hub,&nbsp;ViaTunisia&nbsp;will look to provide direct, high-capacity connectivity between North Africa and the wider digital world. It will also multiply route options in this area, especially in natural disaster-prone areas, minimising outages caused by cable failures, thus improving offering a way to enhance overall network resilience.</p> <p>The ViaTunisia partners said that the journey to RFS began long before the cable touched the seabed. Constructed as an open, point-to-point system with a 25-year design life, ViaTunisia has now transitioned through phases including marine surveys, factory acceptance tests, cable loading, laying, shore landings and final splicing.</p> <p>Marine operations were carried out by Orange Marine’s Sophie Germain and Elettra TLC’s&nbsp;Teliri&nbsp;cable ships, under the coordination of Elettra TLC, with system design and equipment delivered by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN).</p> <p>ViaTunisia&nbsp;extends directly into <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632657/Orange-lands-first-Medusa-subsea-cable-in-Marseille">Orange’s global infrastructure in Marseille</a> through a fully redundant urban fibre ring connecting all of its datacentres in the city. The telco sees the set up as enabling interconnexion and distribution of international capacity across Europe.</p> <p>The link is part of the wider <a href="https://medusascs.com/">Medusa Submarine Cable System</a> undersea system, which will look to establish a new direct and resilient route across the Mediterranean, supporting growing demand for data traffic, cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI) applications and digital transformation initiatives across the region.</p> <p>Owned by African infrastructure and telecoms operator&nbsp;<a href="https://afr-ix.com/">AFR-IX Telecom</a>, Medusa is 8,760km long, and will be the first and longest subsea cable to connect the main Mediterranean countries, providing access to telecommunications infrastructure and 16 landing points around the Mediterranean Sea.</p> <p>The cable will have segments with up to 24 fibre pairs, with a capacity of 20Tbs per fibre pair. Its festoon architecture is said to offer a unique design. Designed as an open-access system, Medusa will look to offer telecom providers across the region with access to advanced connectivity services, supporting the roll-out of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627779/Sizewell-C-deploys-VodafoneThree-dedicated-5G">5G</a>, the growth of cloud infrastructure, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366625757/Cisco-Live-2025-The-network-critical-for-the-future-of-the-AI-era">increasing bandwidth demands of AI</a> and future technologies.</p> <p>Operationally, Medusa will have two main regions, which are Europe and North Africa. In Europe, it has local operational branches in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. These branches hold licenses and permits, and the Network Operations Centre is based in Europe. In North Africa, Medusa has agreements with local licensed operators for landing parties.</p> <p>The EU said the move demonstrated its commitment to reinforcing digital connectivity, supporting the rapid growth of data traffic driven by digital transformation and AI, additionally enabling new opportunities for digital services, investments and innovation.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about subsea communications</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643009/Via-Africa-subsea-cable-project-to-strengthen-European-African-connectivity">Via Africa subsea cable project to strengthen European, African connectivity</a>: Europe-Africa submarine cable project backed by consortium model designed to connect Europe to Africa along the Atlantic coast, enhancing the resilience and diversity of West Africa’s international connectivity.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640741/Colt-announces-subsea-terrestrial-network-routes">Colt announces subsea, terrestrial network routes</a>: Digital infrastructure company reveals plans to launch international connectivity routes connecting the US West Coast to Asia, marking the latest phase of its major global network expansion.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637186/Subsea-cable-worth-1bn-to-link-Japan-with-Malaysia-and-Singapore">Subsea cable worth $1bn to link Japan with Malaysia and Singapore</a>: The Intra-Asia Marine Cable will deliver 320Tbps capacity across the region, complementing subsea cable investments by hyperscalers such as Google and Meta in recent years.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366573415/SEA-ME-WE-4-doubles-undersea-capacity-with-optical-link">SEA-ME-WE 4 doubles undersea capacity with optical link</a>: Optical communications technology provider Ciena doubles capacity of undersea cable links covering South/Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe to 122Tbps.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Subsea cable segment connecting Marseilles in France and Bizerte in Tunisia has officially reached ready-for-service status, making leap from infrastructure design to live connectivity https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/subsea-cable-aapsky-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643922/ViaTunisia-subsea-segment-reaches-Ready-for-Service-status Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:07:00 GMT <p>The Windows 10 Print Management Utility, better known as the Print Management Console, has been a part of the Windows operating system for decades, so it's critical to ensure this utility is accessible.</p> <p>This console can help desktop administrators with numerous settings such as hardware preferences and default printers.</p> <p>However, IT professionals might run into an issue where the Print Management Console is missing from their Windows deployments. As a desktop administrator, you should make sure you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/tip/How-Windows-11-Print-Management-can-fix-printer-issues">access the Print Management Console</a>&nbsp;and know what to do when the console is inaccessible.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to access the Print Management Console"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to access the Print Management Console</h2> <p>In the past, the Print Management Console was installed within Windows 10 by default. To find out whether this console exists on your system, right-click on the&nbsp;<b>Start</b>&nbsp;button and then click&nbsp;<b>Run</b>.</p> <p>Next, enter the&nbsp;<span style="font-family: 'courier new', courier, monospace;">PrintManagement.msc</span>&nbsp;command at the Run prompt. If the Print Management Console is installed, you will see it open, as shown in Figure 1.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_1-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_1-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_1-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_1-f.jpg 1280w" alt="A screenshot of the command to run the Print Management Console in Windows 10." data-credit="Brien Posey" height="432" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Figure 1. The Print Management Console that pops up after running the command. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What are the Print Management Console use cases?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What are the Print Management Console use cases?</h2> <p>For some, the Print Management Console's absence is a nonissue. After all, Windows 10 enables you to install and use printers without having to open the Print Management Console. Even so, the tool can be extremely useful for Windows administrators.</p> <p>Although many IT professionals are quick to dismiss the Print Management Console as being one of those tools that exists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/Explore-print-server-alternatives-to-avoid-IT-headaches">mostly for use on server</a>&nbsp;OSes, it definitely has its place within a desktop-centric environment.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> You can use the Print Management Console to update device drivers and configure all the various print settings. </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>For example, the console simplifies the process of working with multiple printers. Rather than having to navigate the Printers and Scanners settings or the legacy Control Panel -- which Microsoft plans to eventually <a target="_blank" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/system-configuration-tools-in-windows-f8a49657-b038-43b8-82d3-28bea0c5666b" rel="noopener">remove</a>&nbsp;from Windows -- the Print Management Console acts as a single pane of glass interface for managing all of your printers.</p> <p>These printers don't have to be directly attached to your PC. Network printers are also exposed through the Print Management Console. You can use the Print Management Console to update device drivers and configure all the various print settings.</p> <p>Another reason why the Print Management Console is so useful is that it enables access to the print queues for individual printers -- or print devices, as Microsoft likes to call them -- so you can see the individual jobs that exist within the print queue. You can delete a "stuck" print job if necessary. You can also cancel a print job or even change the order in which print jobs will be printed.</p> <p>Microsoft lets you use the Print Management Console to apply access controls and other security settings to individual printers. For example, if you have a printer that's expensive to operate or used for a special purpose, such as printing checks, you can use the console to control who's allowed to print to the printer. You can also control who's allowed to manage the documents within the print queue.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why is the Print Management Console missing?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why is the Print Management Console missing?</h2> <p>There are two main reasons why the Print Management Console might be missing from your Windows 10 deployment. The first reason is that not every Windows edition includes the utility. You can find the Print Management Console in&nbsp;Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. However, it's not included with Windows 10 Home.</p> <p>Additionally, the Print Management Console is technically an optional feature as of Windows 10 version 2004 -- the May 2020 update. In other words, as of that release, the utility is no longer installed by default.</p> <p>In some cases, you might find that a Windows 10 device still includes the Print Management Console in spite of running a&nbsp;build that is newer than 2004. Assuming the Print Management Console wasn't manually installed, this could happen if the PC was originally running an older Windows 10 build but was later upgraded to a more current build. In some circumstances, you might discover that the update process did not cause the Print Management Console to be removed.</p> <p>However, if the installation media used for deploying a machine's original Windows 10 installation is build 2004 or higher, then the Print Management Console will not be installed by default. In these situations, you'll need to manually install the console.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to install the Print Management Console"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to install the Print Management Console</h2> <p>If you find that the Print Management Console is missing from your Windows 10 deployment, there are two techniques you can use to install it. Keep in mind that both methods require running a supported Windows 10 Edition and that the Print Management Console isn't supported with Windows 10 Home Edition.</p> <h3>Install the Print Management Console with PowerShell</h3> <p>The first technique for installing the Print Management Console&nbsp;involves Windows PowerShell. Begin by opening an elevated PowerShell session. Then, enter the following command:</p> <pre class="language-powershell"><code>Get-WindowsCapability -Name "Print.Management.Console*" -Online | Add-WindowsCapability -Online</code></pre> <p>This command will install the Print Management Console (Figure 2).</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_2-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_2-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_2-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_2-f.jpg 1280w" alt="A screenshot of Windows PowerShell showing the command to install the Print Management Console." data-credit="Brien Posey" height="228" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Figure 2. The PowerShell command that installs the Print Management Console on Windows desktops that can support it. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Installing the Print Management Console through the Windows GUI</h3> <p>If you would prefer not to have to use the Windows command line, you can install the Print Management Console from the Windows desktop. To do so, open <b>Settings</b> and click on&nbsp;<b>System</b>. Next, click on the&nbsp;<b>Optional Features</b>&nbsp;tab. Now, scroll through the list of optional features until you locate the Print Management Console. Select the Print Management Console checkbox and then click the&nbsp;<b>Add&nbsp;</b>button (Figure 3).</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_3-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_3-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_3-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/onlineimages/windows_print_management_missing_3-f.jpg 1280w" alt="A screenshot of a Windows 10 desktop with the box to add the Print Management Console checked." data-credit="Brien Posey" height="436" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Figure 3. The option to add the Print Management Console through the Optional features settings menu. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Upon doing so, the Print Management Console will install.</p> <p><em>Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America. </em></p> </section> IT administrators might need to find the Print Management Console for a variety of reasons, but sometimes it's nowhere to be found. Learn the steps to take in a situation like this. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/wfh_a382773067.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/tip/What-to-do-when-Windows-10-Print-Management-is-missing Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:31:00 GMT <p>Organisations are depending on both humans and artificial intelligence (AI) to manage, monitor and defend critical IT infrastructure – and in an agentic world, they must act and defend at machine speed and scale.</p> <p>To facilitate these ever stringent requirements, Cisco has unveiled Cloud Control, a unified platform built for humans and AI agents that is claimed to represent a new way to run critical infrastructure.</p> <p>In its technological essence, <a href="https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/artificial-intelligence/agentic-ops/cisco-cloud-control/index.html">Cisco Cloud Control</a> comprises a single management plane that brings a customer’s entire estate into one environment. It can deliver a single view of Cisco networking, security, compute, observability and collaboration in one environment.</p> <p>People and agents work from a single data layer, sharing the same operational context and the same system of action, offering one platform for humans and agents to run the agentic enterprise, while humans stay in control, said Cisco.</p> <p>The new platform was unveiled at <a href="https://www.ciscolive.com/global.html">Cisco Live 2026</a> where it was described by president and chief product officer Jeetu Patel as a “revolutionary” way to control infrastructure and operations – allowing customers to build their own apps and agents in natural language, extending to third-party tools – and one that was developed by a company that is very different to what it used to be, even compared with the most recent past.</p> <p>Kicking off the conference, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said that from a technological, geo-political and business perspective, the world was moving faster than at any time before.</p> <p>“We’re in a full-out sprint. In the world we live in today, in the last half hour a new model could have been launched and we’d all be scrambling; an attacker might have taken down some major system; some political statement could have caused a seismic shift in the global geopolitical landscape. This is what we’re dealing with.”</p> <p>A key driver of this change was the release of the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Take-a-breath-A-CISOs-Claude-Mythos-advice-for-CIOs">Mythos AI tool, revealing companies’ strengths and weaknesses in the AI era</a>. One major result has been the increased engagement of CEOs in technology decision-making. Robbins was adamant that traditions and norms have gone for his fellow CEOs as they try to meet the Mythos moment and simply have to invest in step change technologies.</p> <p>The old habit of slowing spending and seeing what happens in times of change just doesn’t work any more, he said, adding that there was a real risk of “becoming extinct” by doing this now.</p> <p>“I’m talking to CEOs who are trying to understand the implications of something they haven’t put their hands on yet, and so they feel a lack of control,” said Robbins. “At the CEO level, they’re just trying to figure out, ‘What are the things I should I be doing, what should I be expecting of my team, and how should I be guiding my team?’. The risk of not [investing in new infrastructure] is much greater. In general, you’re going to find that most CEOs feel exactly that way, even though they may not know how to operationalise that yet.</p> <p>“FOMO [fear of missing out] is real, and the fear of competitors moving faster because they’re willing to embrace something and take a little more risk than is at the heart of the discussions we’re having right now. If you look at most of the demand signals on infrastructure right now, we are supply constrained, but this infrastructure is being consumed. It’s not like you’re going up and building out infrastructure like in the previous eras.”</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Supporting powerful network with Cloud Control"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Supporting powerful network with Cloud Control</h2> <p>At the heart of Robbins’s speech was the basic notion that the network was now more powerful than any of the nodes which connect to it. Recalling the days in the past decade when the explosion of online video services put incredible strain on networks that needed upgrading, Robbins noted that network traffic associated with AI will triple in the next three years – and that forecast was based solely on what we know today.</p> <p>“We have robotics, we have manufacturing, we have physical AI – all those things are going to put traffic on the networks at an incredible pace. Over 90% of [attendees] &nbsp;have said, ‘I’ve got to be modernising my technology infrastructure today. I’ve got to make my network more resilient. I’ve got to be ready for this transition.’ We’re working on it. I think the power of this network...is going to be more important than ever.”</p> <p>For Cisco, the key technology reference point will be Cloud Control. The platform brings together cross-domain telemetry, purpose-built models and trusted agents. Within the former, data flowing across networking, security, observability and collaboration can be combined so that humans and agents can act on the same information across to address business imperatives such as uptime, agent behaviour and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643753/Agentic-AI-is-driving-rethink-of-enterprise-architecture-and-tokenomics">tokenomics</a>.</p> <p>As it works with AI models, Cloud Control looks to reason across complex problems with the right mix of purpose-built and frontier models, especially those with operational networking data. The result is said to be system intelligence that scales with the complexity of the problem, not the size of the model alone.</p> <p>“AI agents reason and act continuously at software speed, and that changes everything about how we scale, manage and defend our critical infrastructure,” added Patel. “Cisco Cloud Control is a command centre for agentic AI: a platform where your team and your AI agents work together, in the same environment, with the same information and with humans in control.”</p> <p>Through Cisco Cloud Control, operators will be able to work with autonomous agents that can follow a structured path from signal to action. Benefits are said to include spotting trouble, identifying causes, carrying out fixes, testing changes before deployment and confirming the user experience has recovered.</p> <p>Such agents will be powered by Cisco telemetry and purpose-built models, using other capabilities such as expanded experience metrics, deep reasoning, digital twin and Cisco Agentic Workflows. The company said that teams will be able to automate network ops with an agentic loop, while keeping actions visible and governed.</p> <p>As they build their own applications and agents using natural language directly within the Cisco Cloud Control platform, users can also connect to an IT ecosystem including AWS, Linear, ServiceNow and Slack.</p> <p>Other products introduced at Cisco Live include AI Canvas, a multiplayer, generative workspace where operators and agents work from the same live evidence to investigate and resolve issues together in real time. The working premise is that context persists across shifts and escalations, so nothing is lost, and nothing is repeated.</p> <p>Cloud Control Studio forms a design space that unlocks two customisation environments. Agent Builder lets customers build agents for Cloud Control tailored to their own policies and workflows, with the ability to connect to more than 50+ third-party platforms and tools through native connectors or the open Model Context Protocol (MCP). In contrast, App Builder lets customers build and publish apps and workflows for Cloud Control from natural-language prompts, with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Open-Source-Insider/OpenAI-details-GPT-52-Codex">OpenAI Codex’s</a> agentic coding assistant built in.</p> <p>Everything built in Studio – plus agents and apps from across Cisco’s ecosystem – can be published to Cloud Control Marketplace.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The shrinking window between vulnerability and exploit"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The shrinking window between vulnerability and exploit</h2> <p>Looking to address what it said was security for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Take-a-breath-A-CISOs-Claude-Mythos-advice-for-CIOs">the Mythos era fused directly into the infrastructure</a>, Cisco warned that reactive defence was no longer enough when the window between vulnerability and exploit has collapsed from weeks to minutes. The company highlighted that as a charter member of <a href="https://www.anthropic.com/glasswing">Anthropic’s Project Glasswing</a> and OpenAI’s Daybreak, it stress-tests its own products using the latest frontier AI models, finding the weaknesses adversaries would have found before they can use them.</p> <p>At the show, Cisco said that it was expanding protections across its infrastructure to shield customers from new vulnerabilities following discovery, with Cisco Cloud Control acting as the security command centre where defence plays out in real time.</p> <p>The Live Protect system acts as a digital immune system for Cisco products, looking to shield users from newly discovered and prioritised vulnerabilities for supported platforms at runtime. This is carried out without reboots, no upgrades and no maintenance windows. Hybrid Mesh Firewall extends unified protection across networks and applications as well as Cisco and third-party firewalls. This is intended to limit the blast radius when something goes wrong.</p> <p>Looking to “protect agents from the world, and the world from agents”, Cisco has now made further enhancements across its agentic security offerings, from AI defence to zero trust for agents, to the agentic SOC.</p> <p>In addition, attempting to provide a path to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642353/Cisco-advances-path-to-quantum-network-with-universal-switch">quantum-safe infrastructure,</a> addressing “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks that collect encrypted data to unlock when quantum capabilities catch up, Cisco has introduced Quantum-safe communications advancements across its core portfolio, extending post-quantum protection to the systems where the most sensitive enterprise traffic flows.</p> <p>Effective immediately, all newly launched enterprise and data centre routers, switches and firewall series will launch with quantum-safe secure boot. New quantum-ready assessments identify the assets most exposed to the “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks and where to start to remediate. A new quantum resilience framework gives enterprises a structured approach to post-quantum cryptography across two pillars: quantum-safe communications and quantum-safe products.</p> <p>To help customers introduce long-term resilience in its infrastructure, Cisco Services announced four new capabilities through Cisco IQ, namely resilient infrastructure services, AI-powered delivery vehicle for support and professional services, data sovereignty requirements and peer benchmarking.</p> <p>The aim is that the solution helps customers mitigate risk from frontier model threats and build the long-term resilience that today’s threat landscape demands. Data sovereignty requirements now have on-premise deployment options. Peer Benchmarking uses anonymised data to provide data-driven insights on areas such as Last Day of Support (LDOS) risk exposure and security vulnerability rates, enabling comparison with organisations of similar size, sector or infrastructure profile.</p> <p>Concluding, Robbins was confident that the IT and networking delegates to Cisco Live would be the architects of how AI reshapes industries, organisations, whether they were designing factory systems, making classrooms more personalised and productive, or helping science analyse data and advance disease cures. The key, Robbins said, was the network transforming customer experience and powering “incredible outcomes”.</p> <p>“The power of the network brings all of it together, makes it happen, and together we have this incredible responsibility and opportunity to build infrastructure in a way that makes AI useful, secure, trusted and real,” he added.</p> <p>“Collectively, I believe we are truly going to deliver the critical infrastructure for the AI era. Despite all the uncertainty and despite all the fear, I believe that we will together meet this moment.”&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in networking</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643095/Implementation-gap-threatens-progress-in-AI-and-5G">Implementation gap threatens progress in AI and 5G</a>: Despite current patchy deployment of key 5G services, study finds that across regions, company sizes and markets, telecoms leaders are strikingly confident about their ability to capture the next wave of growth.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642981/Nokia-enters-cognitive-broadband-era-with-agentic-AI-capabilities">Nokia enters cognitive broadband era with agentic AI capabilities</a>: As the telecoms industry looks to invest heavily in agentic AI, Nokia unveils a plan to tackle fibre and Wi-Fi challenges, boost user experience and increase operational efficiency.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642566/Extreme-Connect-26-Agent-ONE-takes-forward-network-AI">Agent ONE takes forward network AI</a>: Network firm launches ‘smarter, faster, autonomous’ approach to enterprise networking, with its operating model moving from assistive AI to autonomous, always-on operations.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641242/Cisco-network-readiness-a-determining-factor-for-AI-success">Network readiness a determining factor for AI success</a>: Report reveals how&nbsp;firms are harnessing AI to drive progress and overcome industry challenges, with most expecting ‘significant’ increases in connectivity and reliability demands.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Platform offers unified approach for humans and AI agents to run critical IT infrastructure together, allowing customers to build their own apps and agents in natural language https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Cisco-Live-Robbins-13June26-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643860/Cisco-Live-26-networks-the-key-in-post-Mythos-world Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:35:00 GMT <p>The latest industry insight from Altnets aligns with the findings of other recent research and product launches from major IT providers, finding that thanks to the seemingly endless rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the next major challenge facing integrators will be the need to deploy the physical infrastructure needed to support AI’s growth.</p> <p><a href="https://www.altnets.co.uk/knowledge#whitepapers">The report</a> forms the second instalment in Altnets’ whitepaper series exploring market shifts, fibre demand and the infrastructure strategies shaping the future of digital connectivity.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.altnets.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Why-your-choice-of-network-technology-will-be-key-during-the-global-fibre-shortage.pdf">first paper</a> examined the evolving fibre shortage landscape and mitigation strategies. The latest edition explores how accelerating AI adoption, datacentre expansion and growing digital demand is placing increasing pressure on networks, fibre infrastructure and supply chains.</p> <p>Indeed, it noted that what began as a surge in AI software innovation has quickly evolved into one of the largest infrastructure expansion cycles the technology sector has ever experienced. It stressed that the AI boom is not just a computer story, but a connectivity story.</p> <p>The whitepaper explained how <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643106/Colt-expands-network-in-Istanbul-to-support-AIready-infrastructure">AI is increasingly becoming an infrastructure challenge</a> as much as a technology one, and that infrastructure such as fibre networks, optical connectivity, backhaul capacity and interconnect architecture is rapidly becoming the foundation that future digital economies will rely on.</p> <p>At the same time, broader societal and technological shifts – including automation, fixed wireless access (FWA), edge computing, the internet of things (IoT) and increasingly mobile-first behaviours – are continuing to drive significant increases in global data consumption.</p> <p>According to the paper, this is accelerating demand for dense fibre connectivity across centralised datacentre environments and, increasingly, distributed edge and wireless infrastructure. As a result, the industry is entering a new phase of infrastructure development, where resilience is no longer simply about mitigating disruption.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Organisations that invest in scalable connectivity and long-term infrastructure strategy today will be better positioned to support the demands of tomorrow’s AI-driven economy </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Andy Ainsley, Altnets</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fibre was pinpointed as the strategic resource behind AI. As AI workloads continue to scale, fibre and optical connectivity are emerging as critical infrastructure, and the challenge is shifting from generating compute power to transporting vast volumes of data across increasingly distributed environments with speed, reliability and ultra-low latency.</p> <p>Altnets noted that AI models require enormous amounts of data to move continuously between hyperscale datacentres, cloud environments, metro networks and edge infrastructure.</p> <p>In addition, connectivity infrastructure in the age of AI was shown to be no longer just enabling digital transformation – rather, it is shaping the speed, scale and competitiveness of entire digital economies.</p> <p>The paper highlighted how across the globe, hyperscale datacentres are expanding at an accelerated pace as developers race to increase compute capacity, process larger AI workloads and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643040/Cisco-USGA-set-to-drive-golf-into-the-AI-era">support the growing demands of automation, cloud services and real-time digital connectivity</a>.</p> <p>It also highlighted a number of industry trends that the connectivity firm said were “significant”. First, it cited ABI Research showing that global active datacentre capacity is forecast to increase almost sixfold between 2025 and 2035, rising from 24.4GW to 147.1GW. It also cited JLL data predicting that AI workloads could account for approximately 50% of total global datacentre capacity by the end of the decade.</p> <p>It added that proposed AI-related datacentre projects currently seeking UK grid connections could require around 50GW of electricity capacity, exceeding Great Britain’s current peak demand.</p> <p>Another key finding was that for integrators, the challenge is no longer simply expanding capacity, but about building scalable, future-ready networks capable of supporting unknown future demand in an increasingly distributed and AI-driven digital landscape. The integrators best positioned to lead the next phase of digital infrastructure growth will be those capable of combining intelligent network design, resilient supply ecosystems, strategic collaboration and future-ready infrastructure planning into long-term operational advantage.</p> <p>Altnets suggested that as fibre, backhaul and interconnect architecture become increasingly strategic, providers will need partners that understand not only product availability, but also network architecture, supply chain management and long-term deployment resilience.</p> <p>“The industry is moving into a new era where network resilience and infrastructure readiness are becoming just as important as capacity itself. Organisations that invest in scalable connectivity and long-term infrastructure strategy today will be better positioned to support the demands of tomorrow’s AI-driven economy,” remarked Altnets commercial director Andy Ainsley.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in networking</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643106/Colt-expands-network-in-Istanbul-to-support-AIready-infrastructure">Colt expands network in Istanbul to support AI‑ready infrastructure</a>: Global digital infrastructure provider expands major connectivity hub for Asia and Europe, allowing local and international users to access wider portfolio of scalable networking services.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643370/Vision-26-Motive-offers-vision-of-new-era-of-physical-AI-operations">Motive offers vision of new era of physical AI operations</a>: New products aim to shift operational burden from people to technology, automating ‘busy work’ so fleets can prioritise strategic safety, productivity and profitability.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643095/Implementation-gap-threatens-progress-in-AI-and-5G">Implementation gap threatens progress in AI and 5G</a>: Despite current patchy deployment of key 5G services, study finds that across regions, company sizes and markets, telecoms leaders are strikingly confident about their ability to capture the next wave of growth.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642981/Nokia-enters-cognitive-broadband-era-with-agentic-AI-capabilities">Nokia enters cognitive broadband era with agentic AI capabilities</a>: As the telecoms industry looks to invest heavily in agentic AI, Nokia unveils a plan to tackle fibre and Wi-Fi challenges, boost user experience and increase operational efficiency.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Whitepaper from connectivity expert Altnets highlights growing infrastructure pressure, as artificial intelligence demand reshapes the future of digital economies https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/fibre-broadband-FTTP-abstract-adobe.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643917/AI-boom-creates-connectivity-challenge-for-integrators Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:00 GMT <p>MPs on the Science, Industry and Technology Committee have called for a “period of over-correction” to break the cycle of supplier lock-in and foster <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Cloud-computing-services">a domestic UK cloud ecosystem</a> through mandatory re-competition and open source standards.</p> <p>One notable measure recommended in the report – <em><a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/53352/documents/298462/default/">Rewiring the state: Delivering digital government</a></em> – is that the UK government should exercise the break clause with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640417/Health-workers-call-for-Palantir-to-be-booted-from-NHS-contracts">Palantir and the Federated Data Platform (FDP)</a> in the NHS and publish a fully costed exit plan by the end of 2026.</p> <p>Elsewhere, the report highlights a “lack of competition” in government cloud spending, which totals about £10bn per year. It cites the March 2026 HM Revenue &amp; Customs (HMRC) contract with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a primary example of market failure. AWS was the sole bidder for <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640606/Flaws-in-government-procurement-show-in-HMRC-473m-AWS-award">the 10-year, £472m deal</a>, despite concerns over restrictive licensing practices.&nbsp;</p> <p>Meanwhile, the report recommends the establishment of a unit to monitor and disseminate digital government best practices from the European Union (EU), including how member states encourage the development of sovereign alternatives to incumbent providers.&nbsp;</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Dangerous levels of lock-in"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Dangerous levels of lock-in</h2> <p>The report warns that the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643799/Data-dive-Mapping-the-UK-public-sectors-hyperscale-dependence">UK public sector’s heavy reliance on a small group of US-based technology providers</a> – specifically Microsoft, AWS and Palantir – creates <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Is-cloud-data-sovereignty-all-just-a-case-of-Trust-me-bro">dangerous levels of supplier lock-in and systemic fragility</a>.</p> <p>The committee’s report argues that these dependencies, often driven by proprietary software and complex, opaque contracts, undermine competition, hinder innovation by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and expose the government to significant operational risks, including potential data access by the US under the Cloud Act.</p> <p>To address such vulnerabilities, the committee recommends a comprehensive strategy to achieve “technology sovereignty” and that the government should prioritise open source alternatives and mandate that a defined percentage of procurement budgets go to UK-based startups.</p> <p>Key interventions include exercising the break clause for the NHS FDP, implementing a rigorous cloud consumption dashboard to monitor supplier power, and legally requiring public bodies to favour open standards over proprietary systems to ensure the government retains the ability to make strategic choices independent of dominant incumbents.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Key recommendations in the report"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Key recommendations in the report</h2> <p><strong>Federated Data Platform:</strong> The government should commit to exercising the February 2027 break clause in the Palantir FDP contract and develop an in-house replacement or seek an alternative from UK-owned and UK-based providers, with a fully costed exit plan for the FDP published by the end of 2026.</p> <p><strong>Data access and transparency:</strong> The government must confirm the nature of Palantir’s access to patient data, the statutory basis for this authorisation, when and by whom it was authorised, and whether the information commissioner was consulted.</p> <p><strong>NHS single patient record</strong>: The government should prioritise using UK-owned and UK-based suppliers <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643138/NHS-Modernisation-Bill-promises-single-patient-record-by-2028">to develop and implement this</a> and award all contracts through open and transparent procurement processes.</p> <p><strong>Ministry of Defence and Palantir:</strong> The government must set out the reasons for awarding a £240m Ministry of Defence contract to Palantir without a competitive tender process.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">What is the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee?</h3> <p>The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is a cross-party body of MPs tasked with scrutinising the expenditure, policy and administration of its parent department. Via formal inquiries, it gathers evidence from ministers, officials and experts to produce research-backed reports. While the committee’s findings are not legally binding, they serve as a powerful mechanism for parliamentary oversight and provide ammunition that can hold the government accountable for digital strategy.</p> <p>The committee’s influence is exercised through mandatory government responses (usually within 60 days), public pressure and the ability to shift the national debate. Even when the government does not adopt specific recommendations, the committee’s oversight can lead to increased transparency, policy adjustments and internal reviews.</p> </div> </div> <p><strong>Procurement and SMEs:</strong> Central departments and public bodies should be required to spend a defined minimum percentage of their technology procurement budgets on products from UK-based and UK-owned startups and SMEs, with quarterly progress updates published.</p> <p><strong>Ending supplier lock-in:</strong> The Government Digital Service (GDS) should produce a strategy to end supplier lock-in, including targets for supplier diversification across departments and public bodies, with quarterly reporting.</p> <p><strong>Cloud consumption dashboard:</strong> The government’s promised cloud dashboard should include a breakdown of contract awards by company, their value, details of break clauses, specific licensing terms, and a value-for-money assessment.</p> <p><strong>All of Government cloud contract:</strong> The government should detail how this contract will prevent supplier lock-in, including its engagement with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and how it will embed a pro-competition approach.</p> <p><strong>Technology sovereignty strategy:</strong> The government should define technology sovereignty. The definition should be reviewed annually, and it should set out how the government intends to support sovereign alternatives to incumbent providers.</p> <p><strong>Open source in the Procurement Act 2023:</strong> The government should use the update to this act to require public sector bodies to prioritise open source tools and technology over proprietary offerings.</p> <p><strong>Data access contingencies:</strong> The government should detail its contingencies for safeguarding citizens’ data should the US trigger data access provisions under the Cloud Act 2018, and share relevant impact assessments.</p> <p><strong>Monitor EU digital government initiatives:</strong> As part of the government’s “wider reset” in relations with the EU, DSIT should establish a unit to monitor and disseminate digital government best practice from, with a remit to engage with European Commission and member state-level bodies, in particular to focus on how the EU and member states develop sovereign alternative providers.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Industry reaction: Welcomed but measured</h3> <p>Nicky Stewart, senior advisor to the Open Cloud Coalition, said: “We agree with the need to reduce vendor lock-in across the public sector and to move towards a system that rewards choice, interoperability and fair competition for all providers.”</p> <hr> <p>Conservative peer Lord Chris Holmes said: “This is an important report from the committee which the government must consider seriously and respond to. The most important recommendation is to increase competition in the UK cloud market. This is a critical question of resilience. The cloud concentration risk for the UK right now is beyond worrying. It is also a question of economic value and growth for UK business and a key consideration for any serious discussion around sovereign capability and capacity.”</p> <hr> <p>Bill McCluggage, director of IT strategy and policy in the Cabinet Office and deputy government CIO from 2009 to 2012, said: “I applaud the committee’s thoroughness, but we need to be honest about what select committees actually do. They shine a light; they don’t drive change. This is Parliament holding the executive to account, not the government committing to act.</p> <p>“With the current political pressures bearing down on the government, economic headwinds, a crowded legislative agenda, and an ever-present lobbying machine from the big tech players, I’d be really surprised if more than a handful of these recommendations make it into policy in any meaningful timeframe. We’ve seen this film before.”</p> <hr> <p>Owen Sayers of Secon Solutions, an enterprise architect with more than 20 years’ experience in delivering national policing systems, said: “It’s the most radical set of recommendations I’ve seen in any Parliamentary report in 10 years. The title of the report clearly means they are laying out – or seeking to reset – government policy.</p> <p>“I doubt the government can fully ignore it, but some of the measures – such as following Europe’s lead, which is very sensible right now in technical and compliance/derisking terms – might be hard for Whitehall and the government to stomach. Are they brave enough to take the recommendations and work through them to develop a new, more balanced and less US-centric policy? I seriously doubt it.”</p> </div> </div> </section> A Science, Innovation and Technology Committee report contains recommendations that would radically alter UK public sector IT, procurement and relationship with hyperscalers if adopted https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Westminster1-fotolia.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643883/SIT-Committee-urges-Palantir-exit-in-push-to-end-US-cloud-grip Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:41:00 GMT <p>European investment firms do not have the appetite to invest in deep tech. In a discussion at the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2026 conference and festival&nbsp;in London, the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252516766/Londons-too-small-for-Arm-IP-says-Hermann-Hauser">co-founder of ARM</a> and director at Amadeus Capital Partners, Herman Hauser, spoke about his disappointment that ARM was unable to list on the London Stock Exchange. He also discussed his further disappointment when UK investors lacked the foresight to see the potential of ARM, even after it had listed on Nasdaq.</p> <p>Discussing ARM, which he said is <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/CW50-The-Great-British-chip-invention">Britain’s largest technology company</a>, Hauser noted that its market capitalisation is double that of HSBC, which is the next biggest company on the London Stock Exchange.</p> <p>“The saddest mistake is when we went back to all the big fund managers in the UK and said, ‘You made lots of money with ARM the last time, here is an opportunity to buy ARM again at a $50bn valuation’, they all laughed and said, ‘Wou must be joking at $50bn. What’s the chance of a UK or European-based company to grow from $50bn?’,” he said. “Well, now it's $410bn. They missed out on the biggest creation of wealth in the UK ever because their analysts and London failed to understand technology developments.”</p> <p>Unlike the dotcom boom and crash of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hauser sees <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Is-the-AI-bubble-about-to-burst-or-is-it-recalibrating">artificial intelligence (AI) as a boom</a>&nbsp;that is likely to make money for successful businesses. Looking at the deep tech investment opportunity, he said: “Some of the AI companies that we’re now seeing have gone from zero to hundreds of millions of revenue. This is not just ‘eyeballs’ like we heard about in the internet boom. This is real revenues leading to profits and fantastic growth for scale-ups.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Beyond Europe’s ability to think big in terms of deep tech investment, Hauser pointed to the challenge in hiring CEOs for UK and European startups, with the expertise to grow the business.</p> <p>“In Silicon Valley – and we’ve done this a number of times –go to somebody at Apple or a Meta or Google who runs a billion-dollar division and say, ‘The startup needs your help.’ Think about getting somebody out of Rolls-Royce or Mercedes or some of our big companies in Europe. First, the culture isn’t there. People wouldn’t even look at their startup. Then they’re all locked up for six months or a year on their notice paper.”&nbsp;</p> <p>“So, out of the 12 unicorns I’ve been involved in, every one of them ended up in the US,” he added. “We’ve got to keep them in Europe.”</p> <p>Hauser sees the €5bn European Innovation Council’s Scale-Up Europe Fund as the largest deep tech fund in Europe. “The ambition is to grow that from €5bn to €20bn, and maybe eventually €100bn.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Hauser also claimed that Europe is now giving investors in deep tech a better return than the US. “This is the first time in history that European venture capital gives better returns than American venture capital. That’s why a lot of money is flowing into Europe.”</p> <p>Along with improvements in funding thanks to initiatives such as the Scale-Up Europe Fund and potentially bigger returns for investors, Hauser referenced the political climate in the US, which may tempt some Silicon Valley executives to look to Europe for their next move.</p> <p>“A number of the basic conditions for creating large companies in Europe are present,” he added.&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more tech investment stories</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Retail Technology Show – No let-up in <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Retail-Technology-Show-No-let-up-in-retail-tech-investments">retail tech investments</a>: At the 2026 Retail Technology Show, retailers share some of the challenges and benefits of implementing emerging technologies.</li> <li>Bridging the divide for <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/The-tech-investment-gap-bridging-the-divide-for-underrepresented-entrepreneurs">underrepresented entrepreneurs</a>: The figures for funding of female-led startups are shocking - and the same applies to most underrepresented groups. Tech leaders need to take action or risk missing out on new innovations and opportunities.</li> </ul> </div> </div> At the South by Southwest 2026 conference, ARM’s co-founder and director discussed the lack of investor appetite in Europe, despite the region’s numerous startups https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/light-bulb-energy-powercut-idea-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643916/SXSW-26-Europe-still-struggles-to-invest-in-deep-tech Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:24:00 GMT <p>An artificial intelligence (AI) agent developed by Microsoft has been credited with helping it half the projected time it thinks it will need to develop a commercially viable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366619350/Microsoft-overcomes-quantum-barrier-with-new-particle">quantum computer</a>.</p> <p>During the company’s annual Build 2026 software developer conference, Microsoft showcased how its Discovery agentic AI tool has enabled it to improve the quality of qubits in its next quantum chip, Majorana 2.</p> <p>Using Discovery, which has been designed to speed the scientific process and accelerate collaboration, Microsoft’s quantum team said the chip’s qubits can maintain their quantum state 1,000 times longer than its first-generation hardware, enabling more reliable computation. Majorana 2 offers a mean qubit lifetime of 20 seconds, with some instances lasting as long as one minute.&nbsp;</p> <p>The research team has focused on developing topological qubits, which it said offer inherently low error rates, small size and digital control. The Microsoft researchers said they have improved <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/news/366619479/Microsoft-unveils-quantum-chip-Majorana-1-for-future-advances">Majorana 1’s material stack</a> to create a more stable topological phase.</p> <p>Majorana 2 replaces Majorana 1’s superconductor, aluminium, with lead, and also updates the semiconductor active region to a combination of indium arsenide and indium arsenide antimonide. According to Microsoft, this change in materials results in significant increases in performance.</p> <p>The researchers said the topological gap, which protects the topological qubits from environmental noise and errors, is more than double that of the previous quantum processor.</p> <p>According to Microsoft, the improvement in reliability, speed and small qubit size have put the team on a path to achieve a scalable quantum computer that is commercially viable by 2029.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1bN4O5_meB4?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.computerweekly.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="With a little help from AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>With a little help from AI</h2> <p>The quantum team is spread across multiple countries, with specialists in areas like physics, mechanical engineering and process engineering. To support the interdisciplinary research, Microsoft’s quantum team created an AI agent for organising and analysing information, and making it easier for others to find.</p> <p>“The AI is able to synthesise knowledge from all these different disciplines,” said Zulfi Alam, corporate vice-president for quantum at Microsoft, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641591/Novo-Nordisk-partners-with-OpenAI-to-AI-power-drug-development">providing researchers with access to information and recommendations</a>.</p> <p>The quantum team’s scientists and engineers have been using the agentic AI capabilities in Microsoft Discovery to manage workflows, automate measurements, optimise fabrication, pinpoint previously unnoticed flaws and propose fixes.</p> <p>AI is also being used to help researchers understand the vast amount of data that has been collated in quantum research. “As you run AI agents on this data, they’re able to essentially resynthesise and make correlations that we as humans cannot see because no single individual has that much vision across that much data,” said Alam.</p> <p>AI’s pattern-recognition abilities are also being used to help measure the state of qubits, which, in Microsoft’s quantum chip, means detecting whether there is an even or odd number of billions of electrons on a semiconductor wire. AI agents run the process automatically and continuously, building a 3D map of the conditions that a single scientist would never be able to do in the same way, said Alam.</p> <p>“Using agentic AI to automate the measurements was a game changer,” he said. “It goes through some math and starts saying, ‘Hey, where do I find the lowest point where everything sort of works?’ And it can do all these voltage adjustments in parallel, which a human cannot do. The way our minds work, we are more linear.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more quantum computing stories</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>How does <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/How-does-quantum-computing-affect-sustainability">quantum computing affect sustainability</a>: Quantum computing presents unique sustainability challenges due to its specialized infrastructure and energy demands, while also offering potential efficiency gains.</li> <li>Quantum risk to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Quantum-risk-to-quantum-readiness-A-PQC-roadmap">quantum readiness</a>: A PQC roadmap: No one knows exactly when quantum computing will arrive, but accelerating progress is prompting security and IT leaders to recognise the potential risks.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>The improvements being made with the help of agentic AI mean Microsoft sees a way to accelerate quantum development.</p> <p>“We need to make improvements each year that will get us closer to delivering a computer that we believe will have massive commercial and societal value,” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow.</p> <p>“We’ve got to keep marching to that roadmap to accomplish that, but where are we relative to last year? We’re 1,000 times better.”</p> <p>Commenting on the use of agentic AI in quantum research, he added: “Agentic AI has permeated almost everything we do – it’s just become kind of a very natural part of our workflow.</p> <p>“The agents can really accelerate things as much or as little as you want,” said Nayak. “It can be as little as pulling information together and summarising it, or it can go further down the road of synthesising it more or generating an interesting hypothesis. I think that’s extremely powerful right now.”</p> </section> Microsoft researchers have made a breakthrough in quantum reliability with the help of agentic artificial intelligence https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/quantum-computing-2-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643935/Agentic-AI-helps-Microsoft-speed-up-viable-quantum-computer Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:15:00 GMT <p>The UK public sector’s <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Software-as-a-Service-SaaS">mailbox and cloud gateway infrastructure</a> is thoroughly entangled with US hyperscalers and other US providers.&nbsp;</p> <p>A survey of email mailbox and gateway records for 19 government departments and 10 local councils in the UK reveals a concentration of critical infrastructure that potentially exposes them to risks of single-supplier dependency, dependence on supplier gateways that are a “black box” to internal IT staff, and exposure to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Is-cloud-data-sovereignty-all-just-a-case-of-Trust-me-bro">US insider snooping</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Research by Computer Weekly built a picture of mailbox and cloud gateway connections for government departments and local councils from Domain Name System (DNS) records and owner registration information retrieved via the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) and IP sources.</p> <p>While the UK government’s “cloud-first” policy was intended to use public cloud platforms before considering other options, it was also meant <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366542556/Cabinet-Office-updates-decade-old-public-cloud-first-mandate-for-central-government">to avoid supplier lock-in</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>By mapping the digital perimeter of the UK public sector, we can see a clear pattern of dominance by US providers. The digital front door of UK national and local government is hosted on a thin slice of global infrastructure, and raises questions of single points of failure, lack of control of critical infrastructure and exposure to foreign state snooping.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/digitalNexus-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/digitalNexus-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/digitalNexus-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/digitalNexus-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg 1280w" height="411" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The investigative pipeline"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The investigative pipeline</h2> <p>To map these digital boundaries, Computer Weekly used a four-stage passive reconnaissance data pipeline that gathered architectural data without touching internal servers.</p> <p>The first stage utilised a custom DNS reconnaissance gatherer to iterate through 29 major entities. By performing queries for A, AAAA, MX, TXT and NS records, the tool mapped the public-facing perimeter of these organisations (<a href="#Methodology"><em>see “research methodology” below</em></a>). These records provide a “Who’s Who” of the digital supply chain. MX records identify the “mailrooms” (email gateways), TXT records reveal authorised software-as-a-service (SaaS) senders, and A/AAAA records define the “property lines” – the specific IP addresses where government services reside.</p> <p>This was supplemented by Certificate Transparency (CT) logs, a public registry of every security certificate issued on the internet. These logs often reveal “hidden” subdomains or internal testing portals that standard DNS queries might miss and provide a more granular view of third-party integration.</p> <p>The subsequent stages processed this raw data through an RDAP ownership resolver to identify the physical network blocks behind the IP addresses. Finally, an interpretive classifier used heuristic pattern-matching to tag infrastructure with specific suppliers and jurisdictions to calculate an “entanglement score” to quantify the concentration of third-party risk.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/hmtreasury-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/hmtreasury-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/hmtreasury-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/hmtreasury-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg 1280w" height="410" width="559"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The hyperscale triopoly"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The hyperscale triopoly</h2> <p>Our analysis uncovered a total of 2,823 infrastructure connections across the public sector sample. The results confirm dependence on a narrow corridor of hyperscale environments. The digital footprint is dominated by just three providers: Microsoft Cloud (466 connections), Google Cloud (264), and Amazon Web Services (137).</p> <p>The big three hyperscalers are not interchangeable commodities. The research indicates a distinct functional split. So, while Microsoft acts as a “full-stack” partner – anchoring public-facing transit (DNS and routing) and internal identity management – other providers have other specialised roles.&nbsp;</p> <p>For example, Google’s footprint is heavily weighted towards the identity and application layer that handles domain verification and secure authentication, rather than acting as a primary traffic gateway.&nbsp;</p> <p>That means government departments don’t merely use these clouds; they are structurally embedded into specific, non-interchangeable levels of their operational stack. That means resilience is rarely achieved by simply mixing suppliers, as each provider controls a separate, unique link in the infrastructure chain, creating “silos of failure” rather than true redundancy.</p> <p>Beyond the “big three”, the research identified a secondary layer of specialised technology providers that handle critical operational tasks:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li> <p><strong>Content delivery and performance:</strong> Infrastructure from Cloudflare (present in 14 entities surveyed), Akamai (7), and Fastly (7) acts as a distributed “caching layer”, absorbing incoming traffic and protecting against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Ecosystem integration:</strong> Apple Enterprise (16) provides the underlying infrastructure for mobile device management and ecosystem services.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>SaaS operations:</strong> Critical business workflows are managed through Salesforce (7) and ServiceNow (5).</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Cyber security gateways:</strong> Specialised email inspectors like Mimecast (4) and Proofpoint (2) act as the primary defence against phishing and malware before data reaches the internal server.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Only one of these companies – Mimecast – is not headquartered in the US.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/fcdo-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/fcdo-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/fcdo-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/fcdo-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg 1280w" height="410" width="559"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>While individual departments gain efficiency, the aggregate view potentially presents a picture of operational fragility. When hundreds of independent government functions share the same underlying physical infrastructure, traditional concepts of redundancy can be nullified.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Security consultant’s view: US dependency</h3> <p>Owen Sayers of Secon Solutions, an enterprise architect with more than 20 years’ experience in delivering national policing systems, said:&nbsp;</p> <p>“This is the first such analysis I have seen presented and explained in the public domain, but it reflects a situation many technologists have known and understood to be true for many years. Despite the prime minister’s assertions to the contrary, the UK is a taker, not a maker, when it comes to digital technology and, more than any other Western country, is dependent on US-based hyperscaler technologies for the operation of its core national public services.</p> <p>“This opens us up to data interception and service interruption risks we cannot domestically manage, and suggests that achieving <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/ezine/Computer-Weekly/Tech-nationalism-The-need-to-build-and-protect-UK-digital-sovereignty">digital sovereignty</a> will be much harder for the UK public sector than the relatively rapid changes we are seeing across Europe.”</p> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The sovereign core"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The sovereign core</h2> <p>The data also identified 1,894 connections attributed to internal or localised government infrastructure. These represent the core of physical servers, private circuits and authoritative name servers that government departments still own directly, often hosted in datacentres such as <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252526893/Crown-Hosting-Data-Centres-secures-250m-government-colocation-deal">Crown Hosting</a>.</p> <p>But entanglement with US hyperscalers and other providers means this core is vulnerable. Government and local authorities hold the keys to the rooms in their digital house, but have outsourced the front door, letterbox and lighting to commercial landlords. Should a hyperscaler suffer an application programming interface (API) failure or a regional outage, for example, the internal infrastructure could become cut off from the public.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Security consultant’s view: A tangled web</h3> <p>On the subject of entanglement, Sayers said:&nbsp;</p> <p>“Entanglement is exactly the term to apply here, since the interconnectivity and dependencies of our systems with these services, and worse still, their own interconnected dependent hierarchy of services, is quite impossible to unpick.</p> <p>“What we now have is a digital gordian knot of global proportions, and even if we knew how to cut it, we could not do so because of the impact this would have on our everyday life. The only way to resolve this is to painstakingly unpick it, but I don’t see anyone lining themselves up to do so.”</p> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The attack surface of convenience"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The attack surface of convenience</h2> <p>By aggregating services into hyperscaler nodes, the public sector has created a so-called “attack surface of convenience”. This introduces four primary structural risks identified by our architectural analysis:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li><strong>Single point of failure:</strong> Centralisation in routing means that if a single supplier like Cloudflare or Microsoft experiences a significant outage, an entity’s ability to resolve its own domain names or receive emails can be completely severed.</li> <li><strong>The visibility gap:</strong> If internal teams treat commercial gateways as “black boxes” and these external providers are compromised – as seen in supply chain attacks like that of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/SolarWinds-hack-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know">SolarWinds</a> – the attackers potentially gain a “golden key” to communication streams that can be invisible to internal monitoring tools.</li> <li><strong>Configuration brittleness:</strong> Secure architecture requires redundancy. The data shows departments using a single supplier for both email security (eg, Mimecast) and DNS hosting. This creates a situation where an attacker that gains administrative access to one can potentially hijack the entire domain identity.</li> <li><strong>The jurisdictional trap:</strong> Our research indicates that 96.55% of surveyed entities are subject to US jurisdictional risk. Because they rely on suppliers subject to the US Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (Cloud) Act and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) section 702, their data – and access logs that show who viewed that data – reside in a foreign legal jurisdiction. US agencies could theoretically issue a secret warrant to access these communication gateways without UK authorities ever being notified.</li> </ol> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/cabOffice-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/cabOffice-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/cabOffice-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/cabOffice-data-dive-hyperscale-June-2026-1200px-f.jpg 1280w" height="410" width="559"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Security consultant’s view: Operating on eggshells</h3> <p>On the attack surface of convenience, Sayers said: “When each local authority, government department or critical blue light service operated distinct separate services, it is absolutely correct that we struggled to achieve efficiency and cost reduction.</p> <p>“However, that service landscape was intrinsically resilient. There was no single point of critical failure, and if one organisation did lose their service, we had processes in place that ensured the impact on the public was minimised. Today, all our digital eggs are in one or two big baskets, and whilst that may bring benefits in cost reduction or service re-use, it also means we are always close to a catastrophic cascade of service failures.”</p> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="A tale of two models"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>A tale of two models</h2> <p>The degree of “entanglement” varies significantly across the sample. The Department for Transport, for example, is one of the least entangled, with 79% of its identified digital footprint within a single supplier’s ecosystem (Google Cloud). While this provides seamless integration and a single control plane, a single supplier dispute or technical failure could paralyse the entire department.</p> <p>In contrast, other entities follow a hybrid model that provides resilience by way of diversification. While this reduces the risk of a single point of failure, it introduces “integration debt” – a more complex environment that is harder to secure and audit across multiple distinct security policies.</p> <p>One of the leanest footprints identified was the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). This could be a clean slate advantage. As a relatively new department, DESNZ has not yet accumulated the legacy debt seen in older organisations – the archived websites, forgotten subdomains and abandoned third-party integrations that inflate the digital footprint of more established departments.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The strategic crossroads"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The strategic crossroads</h2> <p>As departments move beyond simple storage and into integrated as-a-service models, the technical gravity of major providers increases. The cost of exit – in terms of financial spend and technical debt – becomes prohibitive.</p> <p>The risk is that without meaningful diversification of the digital boundary, the resilience the cloud was intended to provide may become a casualty. The UK risks a future where its essential services operate at the mercy of a global infrastructure triopoly, bound by foreign laws and shielded by commercial black boxes.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Security consultant’s view: An unstable boat</h3> <p>On the issue of becoming a cloud casualty, Sayers said: “I don’t think we risk that at all – I think it’s already here, we just haven’t had the single event yet that makes the situation clear.</p> <p>“The real question is not ‘is this a risk?’ – it very clearly is. The question is whether we have already tipped over from potential risk to live issue, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest this is the case. We’ve observed these events elsewhere but have not yet realised that we are in the same boat, and our boat is both smaller and more overloaded than virtually every other Western democracy.”</p> </div> </div> <hr> <h3 class="splash-heading"><a id="Methodology"></a>Research methodology&nbsp;</h3> <p>To map the digital boundaries of the UK public sector, Computer Weekly used a data extraction pipeline built for passive reconnaissance. The primary dataset was built by identifying registered domains for 19 government departments and 10 local councils.</p> <h4><span style="color: #34495e;"><strong>Analysis stages</strong></span></h4> <ul class="default-list"> <li> <p><strong>DNS data gathering:</strong> Iterated through target entities to perform DNS queries (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS records) that mapped the perimeter and identified authorised mail routers and SaaS providers.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>RDAP ownership queries:</strong> Processed raw DNS data to identify physical network blocks (IP ranges) behind the domains, to determine which organisations actually own those network segments.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Interpretive classifier:</strong> Used pattern-matching to interpret technical data into business categories, to identify suppliers and assess legal jurisdictions.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Dependency tree generator:</strong> Transformed enriched data into a visualisation of the relationship between root organisations, subdomains and external suppliers.</p> </li> </ul> <h4><span style="color: #34495e;">Key definitions</span></h4> <ul class="default-list"> <li> <p><strong>MX records:</strong> Direct email to responsible mail servers.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>TXT/SPF records:</strong> List authorised third-party suppliers allowed to send email on behalf of the domain.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>A/AAAA records:</strong> Map domains to physical server locations (IPv4/IPv6).</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>NS records:</strong> Identify the authoritative name servers in charge of the domain’s records.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Entanglement score:</strong> A metric of digital risk calculated by dividing unique supplier connections by the total infrastructure footprint.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about cloud infrastructure</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642487/Cloud-and-data-sovereignty-caught-in-a-paradox">Cloud and data sovereignty caught in a paradox</a>: We asked the hyperscalers how they would respond to US court-ordered eavesdropping on foreign citizen data – and got responses that highlight a paradoxical situation.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/This-rise-of-the-splinternet-Data-sovereignty-risks-and-responses">The rise of the splinternet? Data sovereignty risks and responses</a>: We look at the political, legal and economic risks around data sovereignty, the fears for digital dependency and massive hyperscaler penetration in the UK public sector.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Breaking-the-stranglehold-Responses-to-data-sovereignty-risk">Breaking the stranglehold – responses to data sovereignty risk</a>: We look at the political and government responses to risks around data sovereignty and massive dependence on the three US hyperscalers – AWS, Azure and GCP – in the UK and Europe.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> UK government and local authorities have built critical infrastructure amid a web of US hyperscaler cloud and other providers, which brings risks of exposure to a narrow set of non-UK suppliers https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-strategy-4-fotolia.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643799/Data-dive-Mapping-the-UK-public-sectors-hyperscale-dependence Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:40:00 GMT <p>Not content with destroying our <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Im-from-the-technocracy-and-Im-here-to-help-how-tech-bros-are-taking-over-the-world">democracies,</a> <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ai-has-environmental-problem-heres-what-world-can-do-about">our planet</a> and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/07/economy/ai-job-losses-long-term-effects">our livelihoods</a>, the <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/broligarchy">AI broligopoly</a> is coming directly for your technology. We are encountering what’s being coined as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/06/ramageddon-cheap-phones-laptops-macbooks-ps5s-ai-chips">RAMageddon</a> - an era where there is such a shortage of memory chips that curious decisions are being taken by Big Tech, which at the very least are counterintuitive or, to put it another way, stupid.</p> <p>According to Big Tech, they promise that the AI they put in our devices will achieve a number of transformative things, such as speed and responsiveness; privacy and data security; and offline capability.</p> <p>Rather than routing through the cloud we will be able to do tasks directly on our devices, promising a new world of efficiency.</p> <p>And fancy being able to access everything on your device when on a flight? We are told that this will all be possible because of AI. But this is totally untrue, certainly for the foreseeable future. These companies are so voraciously buying RAM to feed their AI training models and datacentres there will be precious little RAM available for our domestic devices. And what we will be given in the future will not be more RAM but less as the broligarchy keep all the memory for their datacentres and AI large language model training.</p> <p>This time next year - or perhaps even later this year - you will be paying far more for a laptop and phone that may have <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/ram-price-crisis-2026-everything-you-need-to-know">less, not more, capabilities. </a></p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Staggering investment"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Staggering investment</h2> <p>The scale of investment by four companies to acquire this RAM and other AI training costs is staggering. According to a report from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-06/how-much-is-big-tech-spending-on-ai-computing-a-staggering-650-billion-in-2026?embedded-checkout=true">Bloomberg</a>, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have budgeted $650bn capital expenditure for 2026.</p> <p>To put that in perspective, according <a href="https://smarterarticles.co.uk/priced-out-by-ai-the-memory-chip-crisis-hitting-every-consumer">to Bloomberg</a> “21 other major corporations spanning industries from automating to defence contracting found their combined budgets total just $180bn. The AI infrastructure spend of four Silicon Valley giants dwarfs the capital plans of nearly every other industry on Earth, combined.”</p> <p>If AI is going to change our lives and make them easier, why are the very companies building the technology asking us to pay their capex costs for higher prices with less memory and functionality?</p> <p>According <a href="https://smarterarticles.co.uk/priced-out-by-ai-the-memory-chip-crisis-hitting-every-consumer">to this Tim Green article,</a> the irony is hard to miss: “The technology industry has spent the past two years marketing ‘AI smartphones’ with enhanced on-device AI capabilities, features that typically require more RAM, not less. Now the very infrastructure being built to power the AI models behind those features is cannibalising the memory supply those phones need to run them.”</p> <p>In its most recent market trends analysis, <i><a href="https://www.idc.com/resource-center/blog/global-memory-shortage-crisis-market-analysis-and-the-potential-impact-on-the-smartphone-and-pc-markets-in-2026/">Global memory shortage crisis: Market analysis and the potential impact on the smartphone and PC markets in 2026</a></i>, analyst IDC set out a stark picture, particularly for the fate of formerly lower-price electronics:</p> <p>“Manufacturers, whose business is mainly in the low end of the market, are likely to suffer significantly. The business models of vendors such as TCL, Transsion, Realme, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo, Vivo, Honor or Huawei are based on thin margins. This increase in cost will hit their margins substantially, and they will have no other option but to pass the cost (or part) to end-users,” said IDC.</p> <p>“In the high end of the market, Apple and Samsung face pressure but are structurally hedged. Cash reserves and long-term supply agreements allow it to secure memory supply 12-24 months in advance. On the other hand, new flagship models in 2026 will likely have no RAM upgrades, sticking to 12GB for Pro models rather than increasing to 16GB. It is also unlikely that current models will see the same price erosion seen after the introduction of the latest model.”</p> <p>Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner, paints the picture for the future of low-priced PCs in chilling terms: “Ultimately, we expect the sub-$500 entry-level PC segment will disappear by 2028.”</p> <p>In real terms, analyst <a href="https://www.trendforce.com/presscenter/news/20260310-12959.html">Trend Force</a> estimates prices for mainstream laptops typically costing about £667 might increase by as much as 40% in 2026 because of the memory chip shortage and rising costs of other parts, such as motherboards.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Vulnerable at risk"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Vulnerable at risk</h2> <p>Yet again the actions of the Broligarchy and their voracious greed will put those most vulnerable in our society at risk. <a href="https://www.governmenttechnology.co.uk/news/12092025/digital-poverty-leaving-children-behind-schools-reopen">According to the CEO of Digital Policy Alliance, Elizabeth Anderson</a>: “New research from RM Technology and the Digital Poverty Alliance highlights that more than half (57%) of low-income households lack reliable access to devices or the internet at home. The consequences of this are far reaching, as children struggle to complete homework, access learning resources, and keep pace with peers. Teachers warn the gap is widening, and without urgent action, digital poverty will continue to hold back the country’s most vulnerable students.”</p> <p>Further egregious behaviour by Big Tech with an impact on your pocket is this story from security researcher Alexander Hanff, aka <a href="http://egregious/">That Privacy Guy</a>, outlining how Google Chrome silently installs a 4GB AI model on your device - without asking consent, which he argues is in breach of several parts of GDPR.</p> <p>Downloading 4GB is not trivial for people on metered connections, mobile hotspots or those with bandwidth caps or in developing countries where data costs remain prohibitive. This kind of unflagged download could very quickly use up your data - as was confirmed by a commenter on a <a href="https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/05/google-chromes-silent-4gb-ai-download-problem">Pieter Arntz article for Malware Labs</a> on the same topic: “I happen to be in a rural area myself and have 150GB per month limit on my connection which I use 70% of every month without even trying”.&nbsp;</p> <p>Not only will Chrome users have paid the download costs silently and unknowingly installed the file (weights.bin) but the file permanently consumes about 4GB of your device’s local drive storage. A further push to offload RAM costs on to the consumer.</p> <p>And you can’t just delete the file, since Chrome re-downloads a fresh copy during browser updates. It’s also misleading in that Chrome suggests that once the file is installed AI runs locally on your machine, but if you use certain cloud-based features it will still transfer standard token and prompt data to Google servers.</p> <p>Hanff concludes with clear questions about the role of regulators and prosecutors: “The fact that the bytes are AI bytes does not exempt them from the law that governs every other byte that gets written to a user's device without permission. The fact that the bytes are ‘small’ relative to the user's disk does not exempt the cumulative carbon footprint from being a real, measurable, ongoing harm to the climate.”</p> <p>If Google's next Chrome update silently removes the unconsented installs and replaces the behaviour with an explicit opt-in, we will know the company can read the room. If it does not, we will know what the company's published positions on responsible AI and sustainability are actually worth.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="People power"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>People power</h2> <p>In light of what is increasingly becoming default behaviour, one has to ask a very simple question: when will regulators and public prosecutors start to enforce the law which has been in place since 2002 - or are global tech corporations exempt from criminal and civil statutes?”</p> <p>Don’t hold your breath. Yet again it seems clear the cavalry is not coming to help, but there are encouraging green shoots of people power beginning to bloom in the US.</p> <p>Most notable is the re-emergence of none other than <a href="https://www.brockovich.com/">Erin Brockovich</a>, whom readers may remember was played by Julia Roberts in the movie about her work. She was the successful instigator of the historic legal case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for contaminating groundwater in Hinkley, California.</p> <p>While she has always worked on environmental issues, she has now created the ingenious <a href="https://www.brockovichdatacenter.com/"><b>Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting</b></a><b> </b>initiative<b>. </b>Launched last month, it includes a brilliant interactive map which is a call to action for concerned communities.</p> <p>The map details publicly announced, major AI-focused and hyperscale datacentres running AI workloads across the US. The red dots on the map (and there are many) show “community reported” sites with data submitted by concerned residents across the US about AI datacentres. It's precisely the kind of visibility that has been missing and allows US citizens to get a granular look at the huge scale of planned datacentres. It also cites locations where datacentres are operational, under construction or proposed.</p> <p>This kind of open data makes it a lot easier for communities to see what is happening and acts as a repository that serves as a backbone for resistance. If I were the Tech Bros I’d be feeling nervous. Might be worth having a look at the movie - Erin Brockovich is not a woman to be messing with. She has taken on corporate America before and won. I for one will be cheering her efforts for real transparency on the massive environmental monster the tech industry is creating, all in the pursuit of greed and market dominance. And in the end for what?</p> <p>As more time passes, more companies executing AI are beginning to realise that the costs of AI far outweigh its usefulness. Take Uber, for example. As reported by <a href="https://cryptobriefing.com/microsoft-cancels-claude-code-ai-costs/">Crypto Briefing</a>, “After deploying Claude Code to 5,000 engineers, Uber reportedly burned through its entire 2026 AI budget of $3.4bn in just four months. Monthly usage rates among Uber’s engineers hit 84-95% by April 2026. Per-engineer API costs ranged between $500 and $2,000 monthly.”</p> <p>There is a reckoning coming in all this for sure, and as always those who will feel the most pain are those of us who did not create this madness but will surely suffer the economic consequences - from poorer performing tech for higher cost, right down to our pensions.</p> </section> The campaigning heroine of the eponymous movie has AI datacentres in her sights - just as Big Tech spending on memory chips sends PC and mobile prices spiralling up https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/disaster-recovery-fire-datacentre-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Tech-bros-beware-Erin-Brockovich-is-coming-for-you Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:28:00 GMT <p>Just before 1AM on a Monday in early April 2026, Indianapolis city councillor Ron Gibson awoke as 13 gunshots hit his house. When safe to do so, he found a note on his doorstep that said, “No data centers”. Gibson had apparently been targeted for his support of a proposed multimillion-dollar datacentre project in one of the districts he represents.&nbsp;</p> <p>That’s a rare and extreme happening. But anti-datacentre sentiment and campaigning exists and has accelerated in direct proportion to the wave of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Data-Centre">datacentre expansion</a> and artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions we now live in.</p> <p>In part one of this two-part series, we look at opposition to datacentre development, the types of opposition, their concerns, how the industry views campaigners and the potential solutions.&nbsp;</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Protests impact datacentre builds"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Protests impact datacentre builds</h2> <p>The sheer scale of the global datacentre build out was always likely to elicit a response. In the first quarter of 2026, hyperscalers including Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta projected that spending this year on IT and datacentre infrastructure will reach as much as $725bn.</p> <p>The UK, meanwhile, has an aggressive plan to build out AI and datacentre infrastructure. In July 2025, UK secretary of state for science, innovation and technology Peter Kyle said: “We forecast that the UK will need at least 6GW of AI-capable datacentre capacity by 2030.”</p> <p>According to Computer Weekly’s analysis, that target will likely not be met, given the planning status of many projects, with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640935/Data-dive-Government-2030-datacentre-capacity-targets-look-shaky">UK datacentre capacity on course to total 4.9GW by 2030</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>A good proportion of those planned facilities with and without consent will likely come under increasing pressure from anti-datacentre campaigns. Data from industry analysts <a href="https://stlpartners.com/webinar/whats-in-it-for-us-winning-local-support-for-data-centre-development/">STL Partners</a> shows that more than $42bn of proposed datacentre projects across 10 European countries have been delayed, reworked or cancelled due to public concerns.</p> <p>The situation in the US is even more pronounced. According to STL, as of 2025, public opposition had impacted approximately $77bn of projects. Northern Virginia was the epicentre of much of the build out, and consequently the most pushback, with approximately $48.7bn of delayed capacity.&nbsp;</p> <p>However, projects across at least nine states – covering every region of the US – have been hit by opposition and protests. Yet another indicator of popular momentum around the issue is the<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/erin-brockovich-asks-americans-for-help-as-she-launches-data-center-map-11989813"> recent involvement</a> of US environmental campaigner Erin Brockovich, famously portrayed on film by actor Julia Roberts.</p> <p>“Datacentres have traditionally been part of the background, obviously very critical in the back end but largely in terms of the public eye, relatively invisible,” said Jonas Topp-Mugglestone, STL consultant on a recent webcast. “But what we’ve seen recently is a very rapid shift into the spotlight”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Numerous opposition groups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Numerous opposition groups</h2> <p>That visibility is increasingly negative and reflects and reinforces the ecosystem of datacentre organisations critical of datacentre construction that have emerged in the recent past. This includes national advocacy groups, local community coalitions, environmental NGOs, and ad‑hoc neighbourhood alliances. Greenpeace, for example, has been actively targeting datacentres and Big Tech for more than 15 years, with campaigns such as Make IT Green, How Clean is Your Cloud and Clicking Clean.</p> <p>Global Action Plan (GAP) is a UK-based environmental charity which is involved in several datacentre campaigns. One of its most high-profile recent successes was as part of a group including tech-focused campaigning organisation Foxglove, and the Iver Heath Residents’ Association. The group recently <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366638940/UK-government-datacentre-planning-decisions-queried-over-environmental-oversight-admission">forced a government reversal</a> and new environmental conditions to be imposed on a proposed 90-megawatt datacentre at Woodlands, Buckinghamshire.</p> <p>GAP campaigns manager Owen Espley says his organisation is there to support local resident groups but also campaigns via other channels. “We’re producing research and policy, and engaging with politicians and decision-makers to make sure they understand what’s happening with datacentres,” he says.</p> <p>“We also scrutinise planning applications for environmental shortcomings and challenge decisions where necessary, as in the court case with Foxglove over the datacentre in Buckinghamshire. We also do work to engage with, talk to and stand alongside community groups who are facing datacentres.”</p> <p>Espley refutes any suggestion that the larger groups such as GAP and Foxglove instigate or direct grassroots action and says the interaction is two-way. “Often, what we’re doing is providing them with information, so signposting them to the reports we have on the climate impact,” he says. “We’re not there to dictate to them how they campaign or what issues they campaign on.”</p> <p>Another high-profile datacentre opposition campaign is underway close to the village of North Ockendon, part of the London Borough of Havering. Residents here, together with local representatives of environmental group Friends of the Earth, object to a proposed 600MW facility backed by digital infrastructure <a href="https://www.digital-reef.io/digital-reef-projects">company Digital Reef</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Computer Weekly spoke with <a href="http://www.easthaveringdatacentre.com">some of the residents</a>, who preferred to remain anonymous, but object to being described as anti-datacentre campaigners.&nbsp;“We are not anti-datacentre campaigners. This is condescending and pejorative, implying we don’t understand the technical and environmental issues,” the group says.</p> <p>“We are concerned residents, whose lives, health, local environment and properties will be permanently blighted if this highly speculative and non-viable proposal should ever be approved. We want to protect the Metropolitan Green Belt and its ecology.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Concerns and motivations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Concerns and motivations&nbsp;</h2> <p>The arguments for and against datacentres are complex and often highly technical, but it is possible to broadly categorise them.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to STL Partners, the most common reasons for opposition to datacentres are rural land loss, water consumption and power grid strain. Other factors include generator noise, CO₂ emissions, visual impact and nitrogen emissions. STL reported that communities generally feel like something is being taken away from them.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>A key aggravating factor for new datacentre projects versus other large construction projects is often the secrecy that surrounds them, according to Rose Weinschenk from datacentre certification and advisory firm Uptime Institute.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Communities were initially open to datacentres but cited a lack of transparency during the process,” she says. “Many felt companies didn’t offer reliable channels for feedback, and some objected to the use of shell entities to hide identities. Over time, trust and patience diminished.”</p> <p>Speed of construction amid the AI arms race is also a factor: “The worry is that the rush to build that we’re seeing is making it tempting for countries to weaken the scrutiny and democratic participation of local people in that decision making,” says GAP’s Espley.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Industry view of campaigners"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Industry view of campaigners</h2> <p>From the industry side, there is a perception that campaigners are often misinformed about the impact of datacentres, and at least some of the pushback is anchored in generalised anti-AI and anti-Big Tech sentiment.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We are at a point where you know information that is not always correct is being dispersed by these groups. I call it the great meme-ification of datacentre facts,” says Uptime’s Weinschenk.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Datacentre developers have a bit of a nerve to complain about ‘misinformation’ when they – along with the UK government – are the primary culprits of this problem </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Donald Campbell, Foxglove</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>But GAPs Espley argues that opacity from the datacentre industry should share the blame. “The industry has resisted transparency, and that’s a significant obstacle to having proper democratic discussion of the impacts the datacentre industry is likely to have as it grows at such a scale.”</p> <p>Carl Walker, head of societal insights at datacentre engineering consultants Hoare Lea, argues that most local campaigners are well informed but there is a wider lack of knowledge around datacentres.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I don’t think these objections are from what you might call the ‘tinfoil hat’-wearing brigade. This is not what we’re talking about. But people generally do not understand what datacentres are, what they do, what impact they have and why they’re there. And it’s not because people are ignorant – it’s because, why would [they know]? Nobody takes the time to explain it.”</p> <p>Donald Campbell, advocacy director at Foxglove, told Computer Weekly that if there are gaps in information about datacentre impact, those are due to the fundamental failures of the industry and the UK government.</p> <p>“Datacentre developers have a bit of a nerve to complain about ‘misinformation’ when they – along with the UK government – are the primary culprits of this problem,” he says.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Solutions and future directions"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Solutions and future directions</h2> <p>What’s the end game for campaigners? It varies from case to case, with modification or halting of construction among the obvious ones.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We need a moratorium now on new datacentres until the planning system catches up to this 21st century threat, so we can properly scrutinise datacentres’ speculative claims,” said Leigh Tugwood, co-chair of the Iver Heath Residents’ Association, in a statement following the news of new environmental conditions placed on the operator.</p> <p>Foxglove’s Campbell said his organisation, together with others, recently wrote to the secretary of state <a href="https://www.foxglove.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_02_05_PUB-Letter-to-Technology-Secretary-re-data-centres-NPS.pdf">setting out the headline points</a> which need to be covered in the forthcoming National Policy Statement on datacentres.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It is worth noting that the government said this NPS would be published soon after new powers came into force allowing datacentres to be considered as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects [NSIPS],” he says. “However, there is still no sign of it even though the powers came into force at the start of this year.” &nbsp;</p> <p>But there is also realisation among campaigners that some new datacentre projects are justifiable, given government and industry plans to keep the UK competitive in AI development.&nbsp;</p> <p>“What we’re calling for is a much more planned, clearer process that the government sets out. They may do this in the national policy statement they promised, but it is overdue,” says GAP’s Espley. “It should set out a really clear, robust economic case for datacentres, to say why they’re needed, what the macro-level environmental impacts are going to be and how that will be managed.”</p> <p>Other approaches include a more inclusive approach to datacentre planning, such as that outlined in Hoare Lea’s recently published <a href="https://hoarelea.com/2025/04/29/new-social-charter-for-data-centres/">social charter for datacentres</a>. These frameworks and other responses will be explored in more depth in the next and final part of this series, which will examine the datacentre industry’s response, from better community engagement to approaches such as improved sustainability and less obtrusive datacentre building designs.&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about pushback to datacentres</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366638940/UK-government-datacentre-planning-decisions-queried-over-environmental-oversight-admission">UK government datacentre planning decisions queried over environmental oversight admission</a>.&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639449/UK-to-see-weekend-protests-against-dirty-datacentres">UK to see weekend protests against ‘dirty datacentres’</a>. Environmental charity Global Action Plan UK is coordinating a campaign effort to bring attention to wider concerns about datacentre electricity demand, water use and environmental impacts.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> In part one of a series looking at attitudes to datacentres, we look at the organisations that oppose new builds, concerns and motivations, what the industry thinks and what solutions might resolve the various impasses https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/strike-protest-1-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/The-great-datacentre-backlash-The-campaigners Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:30:00 GMT <p>Recognising that fleet leaders are increasingly focused on building safer, more productive and more profitable operations, physical artificial intelligence (AI) operations platform provider Motive has announced a major expansion of its Workforce Management solution.</p> <p>A range of products and services – including the new Driver Rewards programme and enhancements to its AI Coach and Performance Hub – were announced at the company’s <a title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/x6p6CL9YPoHXEzz8gSjtkUyYdzH?domain=events.gomotive.com/" href="https://events.gomotive.com/vision-26/">Vision 26</a> summit. The event highlighted the mounting real-world challenges that fleet IT leaders face – in particular, gaining and generating insights from fleet operations and using AI-based software to improve safety and efficiency.</p> <p>As the conference began, <a href="https://gomotive.com/en-gb/products/workforce-management/">Motive</a> claimed that over the past three years, it had helped customers prevent 170,000 accidents and saved fleet teams an average of 20 hours per week on reporting and administrative tasks. This was said to be the equivalent of nearly 1,000 hours per year that could be spent elsewhere on operations. The bottom line was that for a 1,000-vehicle fleet, there could be annual savings of $3.4m on accidents, insurance and fuel-related costs.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Integration and automation lead the drive"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Integration and automation lead the drive</h2> <p>Addressing the conference, company co-founder and chief executive officer Shoaib Makani said that in meeting its more than 1,000 customers operating more than two million vehicles and assets across the US, Mexico, Canada and the UK, his company had gained a deeper understanding of the problems customers faced in their operations.</p> <p>He added that despite the range of industries its customers work in – such as trucking, construction, oil and gas, passenger transit and waste collection – two common themes come up in almost every conversation. First, there is too much fragmentation in the tools used, which he said leads to operational complexity. And second, there is too much manual work, which hinders productivity. The solution to these two universal challenges, Makani emphasised, is integration and automation – with AI dominating every technology conversation.</p> <p>Makani referred to integration and automation as “north stars” in building technology. “How can we build products that work together to break down data silos and give you one integrated view of your operations, and how can we automate the manual workflows so that you can focus on the things that matter most? I want to start with integration,” he said.</p> <p>“What started as a simple fleet management solution has evolved into an integrated operations platform. Six products, each of which can be used standalone, but the magic happens when you use them together for driver safety, fleet management, equipment monitoring, spend management, workforce management and AI vision,” Makani added.</p> <p>“This year, we took integration beyond software into the world of hardware. The standard paradigm in this industry has been a telematics device for fleet management and a dashcam for driver safety. That made sense in a world where dashcams were optional, but today they are essential. This is why we built <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643370/Vision-26-Motive-offers-vision-of-new-era-of-physical-AI-operations">AI Dashcam Plus</a>.”</p> <p>The product was seen as not just another dashcam, but a new platform enabling “a next leap” in driver safety, allowing companies to tackle the hardest problems on the road, such as making split-second decisions on safety.</p> <p>Pointing out one key drawback with existing camera-based safety systems, vice-president of product Nihar Gupta said most cameras currently rely on a single road-facing lens, which sees the world as flat.</p> <p>By contrast, the wide lens of the road-facing cameras on AI Dashcam Plus (<em>pictured above</em>) captures a full scene, including everything in a driver’s periphery, with a zoom lens taking details further down the road. The combination meant that they could offer a view of the world in depth. They detected objects, but struggled to estimate distance, speed and motion. Critically, the compute side was limited, compromising the ability to offer safety advice in split seconds. Compute on the AI Dashcam Plus is based on a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366619490/Dragonwing-take-flight-to-boost-Qualcomm-industrial-embedded-IoT-offer">Qualcomm AI processor</a> built for the edge, with enough horsepower to model the physics of an entire scene in real time on the device.</p> <p>“Yesterday’s [compute tech] can’t run today’s AI. Forward closer warning has served our industry well for years, but the systems on the road today run on rules: distance, speed, time to hit, calculated frame by frame. An alert only fires once the vehicle is already locked in front of the driver. By the time the threat is confirmed, your driver has already lost the seconds that matter most. AI Dashcam Plus enables a fundamentally different approach. To do this, we need the right input streams and serious compute.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="From reactive to proactive fleet management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>From reactive to proactive fleet management</h2> <p>Motive’s chief product officer, Hemant Banavar, concurred, adding that there has been a shift in the technology space, so things that weren’t possible only in the recent past in computing are now feasible. “If you think about the industry that we serve, there’s a lot that has changed in terms of going from being very reactive – looking in the rearview mirror – to looking at data from telematics [gaining insight] and then coaching [drivers] to be more proactive,” he said.</p> <p>“What Qualcomm has done with data connectivity … the way it is almost omnipresent, means we are at a point where we have a really capable edge processor that can run multiple models at the same time. You can do things in real time, so you’re kind of going from a completely reactive way of managing your fleet to proactive interventions. [These] are more valuable for [fleets] to be able to change behaviour. That’s the shift that we're seeing … these chips actually meet the power constraints of the operating environment and can run multiple models in that environment.”</p> <p>Such capability also brings out an issue that has grown in importance throughout the automotive industry as a whole, not just fleets: that is, using edge- and/or cloud-based data systems to enrich the overall driving experience.</p> <p>For example, assessing the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/CES-2026-Connected-vehicles-accelerate-the-pace-of-AI">move towards in-vehicle on-device AI and processing data at the edge rather than in the cloud</a>, it is generally recognised as imperative that applications such as&nbsp;advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have to perform processing with minimum latency and that there was a defined technological threshold for processing the billions of parameters in AI models as seen by the number of trillions of operations (TOPS) processed by edge or cloud hardware. This has meant that while AI inference will be done at the edge, model training will remain in the cloud, due mainly to its current complexity.</p> <p>Banavar revealed at the conference that the way Motive approached this issue was to start in the cloud and minify models to fit on edge processors. The large model and Motive-developed AI stack is first trained to make sure the company can detect the appropriate behaviour in an application, and then go on to look at deploying on the edge.</p> <p>He said: “For a lot of time, what we do is start with an off-the-shelf model, deploy it, and we immediately start getting events [insights]. These go through an event validation engine, which is in the cloud. This essentially allows us to very quickly start building a truth set from the events that are coming in, and we have a ‘human-in-the-loop’ annotation of these events coming in. This quickly allows us to start getting a signal on where we need to improve this model. That becomes the basis of a feedback loop for us to start optimising that off-the-shelf model into something more custom.”</p> <p>In terms of how things can evolve quickly, Banavar revealed that the company can start with an off-the-shelf AI model and, in a matter of weeks, go from around 80-85% precision to almost the high 90s very rapidly, because of the human judgement in the system. That means software developers can very quickly tweak the weights of the model to reach high precision. This loop continues until a point is reached when the need for a human to annotate every single time goes away.</p> <p>This effectively creates the event validation engine, and the practical net result of such actions is a dashcam that can see the road with depth and reason about motion in real time. Motive believes that this unlocks “something entirely new”.</p> <p>Very much among the entirely new is enhanced collision avoidance. The event model principle is central to this, with the system looking at confidence levels for potential collisions. Instead of measuring distance frame by frame, the application models while every object is moving through space. The camera sees an object such as a vehicle, and the AI sees multiple possible future trajectories in real time. The system then reasons which trajectory puts a driver at risk and sends an alert in seconds while there’s still time to act, not after.</p> <p>The system “reasons” vehicles, cyclists, animals and pedestrians, offering the ability to predict a possible object movement, most notably one where an object’s predicted path crosses the driver’s. Even with advances in the model, the key, said Banavar, is not about replacing the driver, but about making not only the driver better, but vehicles safer.</p> <p>That is as well as creating a halo around the cab and around the driver with current tools, Motive plans to extend this halo to around the vehicle, with success measured by a “north star of zero harm”, that is, the ability to reduce unsafe behaviour which directly correlates with accidents on the road.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Engaging drivers to keep them on the road"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Engaging drivers to keep them on the road</h2> <p>Looking at the products added to the driver safety portfolio, Driver Rewards is designed to help organisations engage, incentivise and retain drivers at scale, while new AI Coach capabilities extend AI-powered driver coaching beyond safety to fuel usage, compliance and equipment health. Coaching Score delivers actionable intelligence to measure programme effectiveness.</p> <p>At the heart of the launches is the need to address the issue of driver retention, which Motive says has become a critical challenge across the physical economy. Citing <a href="https://zerity.co.uk/blog/contractor-recognition-retention-strategy">data from fleet management and compliance platform Zerity</a>, it noted that large fleets in the UK in particular were seeing annual turnover as high as 60% and that losing a single driver costs organisations an average of £6,300. That means, for a fleet with 1,000 drivers, turnover costs could add up to nearly £4m annually. On top of that, the UK is facing a projected HGV driver shortage of 200,000 by 2030, which threatens the 82% of domestic goods in the UK that are moved by road freight.</p> <p>Yet Motive warned that in many fleets, coaching still focused on mistakes, while recognition remained manual, inconsistent and difficult to scale. The result is disengaged drivers more likely to turnover and challenges in recruiting new talent.</p> <p>Building on <a href="https://gomotive.com/en-gb/products/workforce-management/">Motive’s Workforce Management solution</a>, which brings workforce operations into a centralised, AI-powered platform, Driver Rewards is intended to turn everyday performance into automated incentives. Fleet managers can create data-driven challenges tied to key metrics, while the platform scores performance and updates points, badges and leaderboards in real time.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Motive-Driver-Performance-2026-PR-800px-h.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Motive-Driver-Performance-2026-PR-800px-h_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Motive-Driver-Performance-2026-PR-800px-h_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Motive-Driver-Performance-2026-PR-800px-h.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo of Motive Driver Performance dashboard" data-credit="Motive" height="158" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Motive Driver Performance dashboard </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Drivers track progress in the Driver App, and teams can run multiple programmes with tailored rules, point systems and incentives aligned to goals such as safe driving, fuel efficiency, compliance and spend.</p> <p>By connecting drivers, vehicles and operational data in one place, Motive ensures that the net result is automated coaching, streamlined compliance, the ability to see risks surfacing earlier, and reduced manual processes so teams can focus on higher-value work. Future enhancements will look to expand rewards to additional behaviours such as idling and compliance, introduce new redemption options, and enable real-time “spot recognition” for exceptional performance.</p> <p>Commenting on how his firm is using Driver Rewards, Rodney Fetters, fleet director at fuel management systems provider <a href="https://spatco.com/">Spatco Energy Solutions</a>, said it has replaced manual tracking with automated, data-driven challenges that score and track performance in real time. “Recognition is now consistent and scaled. We started with the obvious top performers that drive high mileage and are most at risk, but now we are using the platform to improve engagement, strengthen safety and have reduced the time our team spends managing rewards,” he said.</p> <p>While Driver Rewards reinforces positive behaviour, AI Coach is built to automate intervention and improve performance by identifying risks, creating tailored coaching plans, and then delivering real-time guidance to drivers. Drivers who actively review their AI Coach sessions are said to be able to see eight times more safety score improvement and a 50% drop in total events, with critical risks like phone use dropping to zero, according to Motive.</p> <p>The automated, consistent feedback is attributed with transforming organisations’ performance cultures and introducing a new way for fleets to operate. Enhancements to AI Coach now extend coaching beyond safety to fuel usage, compliance and equipment health.</p> <p>Motive is also introducing Coaching Score as part of Performance Hub, a unified control tower for managing coaching, training and rewards. Coaching Score automates measurement by tracking behaviour changes following coaching sessions, allowing managers to see exactly where programmes are working and where high-risk behaviours continue. AI-powered recommendations identify high-impact focus areas, while Performance Hub highlights which coaches need support to keep their teams on track.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about fleet information systems</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639902/Ford-accelerates-fleet-data-capability-with-Pro-AI">Ford accelerates fleet data capability with Pro AI</a>: Auto manufacturing giant introduces fleet management software aiming to help organisations manage their fleet operations more effectively and get daily tasks done.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639466/Connectivity-AI-drive-fleet-safety-productivity-and-decision-making">Connectivity, AI drive fleet safety, productivity and decision-making</a>: Report into state of fleet technology across US reveals three key priorities for the year: increasing productivity, reducing costs and enhancing driver safety – with AI and connected technology serving as engines and usage-based insurance.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636775/Aftermarket-car-telematics-arena-drives-past-90-million-subscriptions">Aftermarket car telematics arena drives past 90 million subscriptions</a>: Study of aftermarket car telematics finds growing value in technology for application areas including stolen vehicle tracking and recovery, vehicle diagnostics, Wi-Fi hotspots and convenience applications.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366621797/Ford-Pro-advances-telematics-for-fleet-management">Ford Pro advances telematics for fleet management</a>: Auto manufacturing giant updates fleet management software and reaffirms commitment to maintaining standardised software-based data experiences for fleet vehicle informatics.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> AI is changing behaviours and reducing accidents within fleet operations, helping teams deliver personalised feedback across safety, fuel and compliance, while engaging drivers https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/Motive-AI-platform-2026-PR-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643658/Vision-26-Motive-gears-up-to-drive-improved-fleet-safety-and-productivity Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:10:00 GMT <p>For the better part of two years, the corporate world treated generative AI as a weightless innovation. It was an ethereal layer of intelligence that lived "somewhere else." But in May 2026, we face the physical reality of that choice. The bill is no longer just a line item in the cloud budget. It is written in megawatts and the cubic metres of water that stop high-density chips from melting.</p> <p>The conversation for the C-suite has fundamentally shifted. We are moving past voluntary aspirations into an era of high-stakes auditing. The challenge isn't just to prove the "value" of an <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639658/Huge-grid-and-heat-challenges-ahead-as-Nvidia-set-for-1MW-rack">AI roadmap</a>. It is to defend its physical existence to boards, regulators, and a sceptical public. To lead through this, we must stop treating energy as a commodity to be offset and start to architect infrastructure that treats it as a finite, high-precision resource.</p> <h3>Circular IT as a strategic hedge</h3> <p>The most immediate way to hit a sustainability target is to stop listening to the "rip and replace" narrative that comes from hardware vendors. The AI gold rush tempts many organisations into a premature refresh cycle, and to bin functional legacy hardware to make room for high-density clusters. This creates a massive "embodied carbon" spike that most corporate dashboards conveniently ignore.</p> <p>We have to acknowledge a harsh truth. For AI-heavy infrastructure, manufacturing emissions can represent up to half <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Data-Centre">a datacentre’s total lifetime footprint</a>. When we decommission a server after three years that still has three years of useful life, we flush away the carbon investment made when that silicon was forged.</p> <p>A sophisticated "blended stack" strategy is the only pragmatic path forward. Reserve high-density, liquid-cooled clusters for the heavy lifting of inference and training, but repurpose legacy hardware for traditional business logic. To extend a server’s lifespan from three years to five – or even eight – is the single most effective way to flatten the carbon curve. It avoids the manufacturing debt of new silicon and proves that your organisation values resourcefulness over "shiny object" syndrome.</p> <h3>Ending the carbon credit shell game</h3> <p>The biggest barrier to honesty in IT sustainability has always been the market-based accounting shell game. For a decade, the industry used Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to claim carbon neutrality, effectively balancing a coal-powered facility in one region with wind power generated a continent away. But that luxury evaporated this spring with the formal publication of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-sustainability-reporting-standards">UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS)</a>.</p> <p>These new standards force us toward a location-based reality. The era of annual averages is ending. Auditors now demand 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) scores – an hourly match of your energy draw with local, clean supply.</p> <p>For a CIO, this is a massive architectural opportunity. By designing "carbon-aware" workloads that shift non-urgent training to regions where the local grid is currently at its greenest, infrastructure becomes a dynamic compliance asset rather than a static liability. This isn't just about being a good corporate citizen. It is about ensuring your AI agents don't become a "Scope 3" liability for your own customers.</p> <h3>Thermal reality and the death of air cooling</h3> <p>In the age of high-density AI, our reliance on 20th-century air cooling is an operational failure. Attempting to cool a rack pulling 60kW to 100kW with fans is like trying to cool a blast furnace with a desk fan. It is loud, ineffective, and environmentally disastrous.</p> <p>The January 2026 update to <a href="https://www.iso.org/standard/30134-2">ISO/IEC 30134-2</a> global efficiency standards effectively redefined what "good" looks like. A Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.5, once the industry benchmark, is now a sign of legacy drag. Achievable targets now rely on direct-to-chip or immersion cooling. By moving PUE toward 1.1 we don't just cut energy. We gain operational resilience.</p> <p>Liquid-cooled systems prevent the thermal throttling that quietly degrades AI performance during grid stress. In a world of volatile energy prices, a 40% reduction in cooling power is more than a sustainability win. It is a significant hedge against operational cost spikes. If your infrastructure isn't liquid, your sustainability targets aren't defensible.</p> <h3>Build sustainability into your competitive edge</h3> <p>How does this create a differentiator? In 2026, every organisation is "doing AI." The differentiator is no longer the model you use, but the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643673/Datacentre-dive-AI-factory-power-draw-changes-the-grid-calculus">efficiency-per-token</a> at which you run it.</p> <p>As mandatory reporting begins to bite across the supply chain, your customers are looking for partners who won't bloat their own environmental reports. If you can prove your AI infrastructure is lean, liquid-cooled, and location-aware, you aren't just a vendor. You are a "low-carbon asset" in their stack. You become the preferred partner because you've removed the environmental friction from their digital transformation.&nbsp;</p> <p>Setting achievable targets isn’t a technical impossibility. It is a management choice. It requires moving away from the performance art of global offsets and toward the gritty reality of local grid data and hardware longevity. The CIOs who succeed will be those who stop marking their own homework and start building something that stands up to the light of day.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more from the IT Sustainability Think Tank</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/IT-Sustainability-Think-Tank-Building-the-backbone-of-the-UKs-AI-economy">IT Sustainability Think Tank: Building the backbone of the UK’s AI economy.</a> When it comes to the environmental impacts of AI, should big tech firms or enterprises, and their IT departments, be expected to “do their bit” to limit the potential environmental fallout of the technology's growing usage?</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/AI-energy-and-the-new-rules-of-cloud-sustainability-competition">AI, energy, and the new rules of cloud sustainability competition</a>. AI has made cloud infrastructure core to enterprise architecture – more valuable, strategic, and resource-intensive. It has also made vague sustainability claims less defensible</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p></p> New standards force carbon accounting to be location-free. Meanwhile, AI and its energy appetite mean we have to build sustainability into an organisation's competitive edge https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-sustainability-think-tank-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Realities-of-the-AI-age-force-sustainability-to-the-fore Thu, 28 May 2026 11:12:00 GMT <p>Our <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Data-dive-A-new-American-Century-in-the-datacentre-pipeline">one-hour drive from Buffalo, New York</a>, to the 750MW TeraWulf <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Data-Centre">artificial intelligence (AI) factory</a> on the shores of Lake Ontario starts in a landscape defined by the heavy, silent remnants of former industrial glories.&nbsp;</p> <p>Here, between the grey expanses of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, are the skeletal remnants of 20th century blue-collar dominance – railroad tracks, derelict grain elevators and blackened red-brick factories that were once part of a huge flow of steel, coal and auto production between the Midwest and the Atlantic coast.&nbsp;</p> <p>The city centre itself is tidy enough, but with a hint of ghost town – elevated flyovers snake above deserted streets, while the southern downtown periphery is dominated by vast, empty car parks built around sports stadia. You get the feeling the city centre has become more of a destination than a persistent community.&nbsp;</p> <p>Architectural gems – the Art Deco grandeur of Buffalo City Hall, the soaring facade of the Rand Building, the hollowed-out expanse of the former rail terminal – stand as grand, stone monuments to an era of manual labour and the professional culture that was once constructed on top of it.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about datacentres and TeraWulf's AI factory</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643653/Datacentre-dive-Were-at-Chinese-levels-at-TeraWulf-750MW-AI-factory">‘We’re at Chinese levels’ at TeraWulf 750MW AI factory</a><span style="color: #000000;">: </span>We see the latest in AI factory technology and construction at TeraWulf’s Lake Ontario datacentre, where a former coal-fired power station is the site of a rapid transformation.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643672/Datacentre-dive-Do-AI-datacentre-physics-make-on-premise-unviable">Do AI datacentre physics make on-prem unviable?</a> Does massive GPU power draw and liquid cooling mean the end of the on-premise datacentre? We look at the AI factory revolution and find that a hybrid path for enterprises will likely still exist.&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643673/Datacentre-dive-AI-factory-power-draw-changes-the-grid-calculus">GPU power draw will require grid partnerships</a>: But water use will likely decrease. We look at energy as the key driver – and bottleneck – in development, and why water use is less of an issue now datacentres aren’t like a VW Beetle.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Leaving the rust belt city behind"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Leaving the rust belt city behind</h2> <p>Heading east along Route 90, urban density gradually thins to the suburban fringe, where industrial units line the roadside behind narrow service lanes. Beyond that, houses are now separated by wide, manicured lawns and what appears as a highly curated patina of rural Americana. Whiteboard houses with front stoops and fruit cellars dot the historic apple-growing regions near the lake shore.</p> <p>Finally, we are at the heavily secured perimeter of the site. A gatehouse with high fences of barbed wire and an on-board passport check that reminds this author of a tense bus crossing into Yugoslavia in 1985.</p> <p>Inside the fence line, the horizon is dominated by the buff-painted, surprisingly pristine carcass of the decommissioned Somerset power station. Beside it rises an unnatural-looking hill which turns out to be a grassed-over heap of compacted ash that now forms the highest geographic point in the county.&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where eagles dare"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where eagles dare</h2> <p>The old generation plant looms over the lake, and eagles circle overhead in the cold air. From its side, a giant, rust-coloured rectiform duct emerges. Its purpose is unfathomable; perhaps a fire-carrying intestine, herniated from an otherwise comprehensible body. It is wreathed in an impossible tracery of girders and steelwork and re-enters the building high above.&nbsp;</p> <p>In front of this brooding bulk, gargantuan yet spindly and angular transformer frames sit empty, waiting for massive cables to bridge the gap between the vanished coal era and the digital factory. Of the hundreds who once ran the old furnaces that created steam plumes visible from space, only a sparse handful of 10 or 20 workers remain.</p> <p>The current 180-acre construction site is a furious, chaotic anthill. Along the rough dirt tracks, a constant procession of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), telescopic loaders, mud-splattered pickups, semi-trailers and concrete mixers churn the earth.&nbsp;</p> <p>Everywhere is a sea of high-vis vests and scratched hard hats, with an equal assortment of sweat-stained hoodies and caps beneath them. The workforce is entirely male – thick beards, wrap-around sunglasses and prominent bellies <em>de rigeur</em> among the older guys. Meanwhile, the pale, late-night tired faces of younger workers peer from beneath a helmet-and-hoodie combo. Baggy jeans and stiff canvas workwear, coated in a fine layer of grey concrete dust, are the uniform for all.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Plumbing for AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Plumbing for AI</h2> <p>Within the rising steel skeletons of the five new buildings, a dense labyrinth of industrial plumbing grows. Galvanised ducting, cable trays and complex routings cross overhead. Pipework ranges from inch-wide to feet across. It is high-end, highly engineered piping, with equally well-made clamping – no rough groundwork tubing here – all designed to direct immense but precise hydraulic flows between graphics processing unit (GPU) chip cooling and towering Evapco cooling units outside. These contain enormous circulating fans that pull air past car radiator-like heat exchangers to expel the heat of the silicon into the sky.</p> <p>In a nearby hall – a former cryptocurrency mining shed now repurposed as a workers’ lunch room – the evidence of technological obsolescence hangs overhead. Inch-thick cables, severed and useless, dangle from suspended trays like dead nerves, while beneath them, multi-coloured strands poke up from openings in the concrete floor like broken sticks of rock.</p> <p>While all on the surface appears smooth-running – and there’s nothing to doubt it is – the primary workflow bottleneck sits with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Cliff-Sarans-Enterprise-blog/The-world-needs-more-plumbers-and-electricians">the electricians</a>. Threading 350 miles of heavy cabling through these steel shells is a slow, gruelling struggle of human fingers against a rigid digital blueprint. Inside the datacentre halls in various states of construction, men balance against high cable trays, stand in careful study of rack power bars, or kneel in the dirt to make copper connections.&nbsp;</p> <p>Work never stops, and shift changes bring two distinct armies of 1,600 men. There’s never-ending movement as shifts come on, or workers move between locations, and trucks and ATVs clatter through the mud under the silent gaze of the eagles.&nbsp;</p> <p>Between the rising structures, rows of portakabins sit in the grey mud, their windows revealing hard-hatted, high-vis-wearing engineers poring over blueprints. Portakabins are flanked by long lines of portaloos where basic human functions and the final checks of construction paperwork are carried out in the dark, sometimes accompanied by the distant, rhythmic thump of pile drivers breaking more ground.</p> </section> We visited Terawulf’s Lake Ontario 750MW datacentre development. Photos and recordings weren't allowed, so we took notes and wrote them up in more traditional ways https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/2siteScene-PR-Schneider-Electric-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643633/Datacentre-dive-From-rust-belt-to-megawatt-AI-factory Wed, 27 May 2026 09:15:00 GMT <p>The <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639658/Huge-grid-and-heat-challenges-ahead-as-Nvidia-set-for-1MW-rack">ravenous power and cooling requirements of graphics processing units</a> (GPUs) in artificial intelligence (AI) processing are set to make direct-to-chip liquid cooling mandatory.</p> <p>This is the key factor in the shift away from traditional datacentres and towards AI factories.</p> <p>It means a significant change in the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Data-Centre">datacentre landscape</a> that could spell the end of the on-premise datacentre, as both cost and complexity spiral away from the ability of enterprises to build their own.</p> <p>These are the key takeaways from an event held by datacentre equipment provider Schneider Electric last week, where industry figures discussed the imminent future of the datacentre scene and visited TeraWulf’s <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642960/Data-dive-Power-grid-data-shows-birth-of-AI-in-UK-datacentres">under-construction 750MW</a> site on <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Data-dive-A-new-American-Century-in-the-datacentre-pipeline">the shores of Lake Ontario</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>In this four-part set of articles, we look at the rapid pace of construction at the TeraWulf site, how giant leaps in GPU power dictate datacentre design changes, their effects on the power grid and water use, and colour in the picture as <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643633/Datacentre-dive-From-rust-belt-to-megawatt-AI-factory">rust belt gives way to AI factory</a>.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about datacentres and TeraWulf’s AI factory</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643633/Datacentre-dive-From-rust-belt-to-megawatt-AI-factory">From rust belt to megawatt AI factory</a>: We visited Terawulf’s Lake Ontario 750MW datacentre development. Photos and recordings weren’t permitted, so we took notes and wrote them up in more traditional ways.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643653/Datacentre-dive-Were-at-Chinese-levels-at-TeraWulf-750MW-AI-factory">‘We’re at Chinese levels’ at TeraWulf 750MW AI factory</a>: We see the latest in AI factory technology and construction at TeraWulf’s Lake Ontario datacentre, where a former coal-fired power station is site of a rapid transformation.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643673/Datacentre-dive-AI-factory-power-draw-changes-the-grid-calculus">GPU power draw will require grid partnerships</a>: But water use will likely decrease. We look at energy as the key driver – and bottleneck – in development, and why water use is less of an issue now datacentres aren’t like a VW Beetle.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>The enormous increase in energy consumption driven by AI has brought a step change in datacentre design. Core to this is the requirement to power and cool GPUs to an extent that was not necessary in “traditional” air-cooled datacentres. Hence the advent of the AI factory.&nbsp;</p> <p>Datacentre cooling has been a predictable exercise in industrial&nbsp;heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) design, where one slotted servers into racks and blew chilled air across the chassis. AI has rewritten the story.&nbsp;</p> <p>The hardware that powers the AI revolution – GPU especially – operates at thermal and electrical densities that render traditional air-cooling methods obsolete. The silicon demands of large language model training and inferencing cannot be sustained by more or faster fans.</p> <p>Instead, the industry faces an inflection point that mandates direct-to-chip liquid cooling and a transformation of rack-level power delivery to 800-volt direct current (VDC).</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Liquid cooling mandatory"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Liquid cooling mandatory</h2> <p>“Liquid cooling isn’t an option, it’s mandatory,” said Rich Whitmore, CEO of Motivair by Schneider Electric, a thermal management firm recently acquired by the latter in 2024 (<em>assembly workers at Motivair pictured above</em>). “It is the baseline for all of these high-voltage processors. The changeover point was at about 700W processors [GPUs] like the H100. That was the crossover point between bending the rules of the laws of physics for air cooling and reality. People simply do not have a choice anymore.”</p> <p>The physics underpinning the shift are that when a single processor crosses the 700W threshold, air can no longer move fast enough or hold enough thermal energy to prevent the silicon from throttling or melting.&nbsp;</p> <p>While historical enterprise racks averaged 10kW to 50kW, modern AI training environments routinely deploy 140kW and 150kW clusters. Systems that hit 200kW are set for roll-out, and reference architectures for megawatt-level racks are in place for the end of the decade.</p> <p>That level of energy concentration converts 100% of electrical input into heat in a footprint the size of a fridge.&nbsp;</p> <p>Paradoxically, this transition unlocks thermodynamic efficiencies. Traditional datacentres require energy-intensive refrigeration to supply highly chilled air. Liquid cooling systems operate with far warmer fluid temperatures and allow operators to use high-temperature chillers or fluid-to-air dry coolers.</p> <p>“Air-cooled datacentres are like the old Volkswagen engines where the heat from the load rejects directly into space,” said Tuan Hoang, head of cooling technology and product development at Schneider Electric. “Liquid cooling is like modern automobiles. It is the radiator that removes the heat from the engine. Zero water consumption is actually needed to cool an AI factory when you transition to these closed-loop radiators.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="800V DC the new standard"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>800V DC the new standard</h2> <p>While thermal limits are bringing fluid dynamics into datacentre white space – the revenue-generating area where IT hardware lives – the current required to drive 200kW to 400kW server configurations would overwhelm existing low-voltage distribution frameworks.</p> <p>Until now, cloud facilities have relied on Open Compute Project (OCP) standards that deliver alternating current (AC) to the rack and internal power supplies convert it to 48V or 54VDC to supply individual servers. But, as rack densities climb past 200kW, things become mechanically and structurally impossible.</p> <p>“As you look at trying to use that architecture, you start to run out of headroom,” said Steven Carlini, chief advocate for AI and datacentre at Schneider Electric. “It’s really a mechanical and electrical issue. Right now, you have eight power cables coming into these high-density racks. As you get up towards a megawatt, you would need 32 even larger cables coming into this thing, which is impractical.”</p> <p>To circumvent this bottleneck, the datacentre design is pivoting decisively towards 800VDC power delivery. More volts equals fewer amps, equals smaller cables. By upgrading the distribution architecture to high-voltage DC, datacentre operators can cut the thickness, weight and complexity of copper feeds entering the cabinet.</p> <p>This electrical transformation necessitates new designs for power delivery, which can come from a so-called “sidecar architecture” designed for hybrid environments and brownfield retrofits, and takes the power conversion infrastructure out of the primary IT rack and positions it adjacent to compute hardware, or consolidated centralised distribution targeted at greenfield sites where AC-to-DC conversion is upstream at the facility level, distribution bay or end-of-row.&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The knock-on effects of changes at silicon level"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The knock-on effects of changes at silicon level</h2> <p>Re-engineering the datacentre down to the silicon level fundamentally changes how infrastructure is designed and maintained. When compute clusters scale at their current rate, minor electrical anomalies or thermal drops carry catastrophic commercial consequences.</p> <p>“Datacentres are fundamentally changing,” said Manish Kumar, executive vice-president for secure power and datacenters at Schneider Electric. “We believe datacentres are becoming AI factories of massive scale and complexity. You have to reimagine how you design, build or bring a datacentre to market and think about the datacentre holistically across the full lifecycle.”</p> <p>This industrial complexity begins with digital twin modelling before physical deployment begins. Because AI developers face large financial penalties for every day GPUs sit idle waiting for power, simulating thermal loads and electrical selectivity in advance derisks capital expenditure and compresses deployment timelines.</p> <p>Meanwhile, transitioning to an 800VDC framework introduces system protection issues. Unlike AC systems, high-voltage DC circuits lack zero points at which it is easier to break a circuit. This necessitates the development of specialised solid-state circuit breakers so that if a single fault occurs at blade level, only that specific breaker trips and doesn’t take down an entire multimillion-dollar training cluster.</p> <p>Datacentres are at a crossroads. Operators and enterprise infrastructure face a strategic fork in the road: abandon legacy air and low-voltage electrical power delivery, or potentially face obsolescence as the physical realities of the AI age leave existing infrastructure behind.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Does AI direct-to-chip cooling put paid to on-premise datacentres?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Does AI direct-to-chip cooling put paid to on-premise datacentres?</h2> <p>CIOs have existed in a comfortable equilibrium where the corporate data model evolved into a hybrid form. In this, non-critical, elastic workloads migrated to the public cloud, while sensitive core business systems, proprietary datasets and predictable processing loads remained inside corporate walls in traditional air-cooled on-premise server rooms.</p> <p>AI potentially shatters this model. With the shift from standard central processing unit computing to accelerated GPU clusters, the physical requirements of modern AI hardware cannot work with legacy on-premise designs.&nbsp;</p> <p>With next-generation silicon demanding mandatory direct-to-chip liquid cooling and unprecedented power densities, is this the end of the on-premise corporate datacentre?</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Liquid cooling unviable for the majority?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Liquid cooling unviable for the majority?</h2> <p>As we have seen, the root of the infrastructure inflection point lies in the thermal intensity of AI hardware.&nbsp;</p> <p>For some in the industry, the complexity and capital expenditure required to deploy liquid cooling frameworks means on-premise AI is unviable for the vast majority of enterprises.</p> <p>In the past, an enterprise could construct a high-quality datacentre building, install the electrical and cooling infrastructure, and reliably run three, four, or even five successive generations of IT hardware refreshes over 15 years without altering the underlying facility.</p> <p>AI hardware has broken that model. The acceleration of chip design means each consecutive generation of AI processors brings new physical dimensions, power profiles and fluid-flow requirements that are fundamentally incompatible with infrastructure built just a year before.</p> <p>“In the old days of datacentres, you would build the building and the facility, the power and the cooling systems, and you could do three, four and five IT refreshes,” said Chris Burnett, account executive at Cloudflare. “[With] today’s datacentre … very few people are going to build double the size of the power and the cooling for the next generation. You’re building it for today; it’s extremely challenging.”</p> <p>For an enterprise CIO, the commercial implications are that constructing an on-premise datacentre capable of handling 200kW racks requires millions of pounds in specialised upfront capital expenditure. If that bespoke facility design becomes obsolete in a single IT lifecycle because the next iteration of silicon requires entirely different fluid dynamics or higher voltages, the financial return on investment evaporates.&nbsp;</p> <p>Therefore, the argument for outsourcing to massive public cloud hyperscalers or specialised multi-tenant colocation providers becomes compelling.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Or democratic deployment for all?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Or democratic deployment for all?&nbsp;</h2> <p>Others suggest that declaring the death of the corporate datacentre is premature. From this perspective, the long-term future of enterprise AI will not consist solely of monolithic foundational model training – which undeniably belongs in specialised hyperscale environments. Instead, the real commercial value for the average enterprise lies in fine-tuning smaller, highly secure, domain-specific models on proprietary corporate data.</p> <p>“Will enterprises deploy direct liquid cooling or is that going to stay out of their reach? I think they definitely will,” said Schneider’s Carlini. “They definitely will move to direct-to-chip liquid cooling.”</p> <p>He said that as direct-to-chip liquid cooling technologies mature, the market will undergo a process of industrial standardisation with infrastructure providers delivering modular, self-contained “plug-and-play”&nbsp;liquid-cooled enclosures designed specifically to fit into existing corporate footprints.</p> <p>Carlini highlighted that once the initial mechanical barrier is crossed, the inherent thermodynamic efficiencies of liquid systems work in favour of the enterprise. “With the efficiency of liquid cooling and the temperatures you can run at, the water use is much less,” he said.</p> <p>By operating at significantly warmer fluid temperatures, these systems eliminate the need for massive, complex external refrigeration units, potentially making localised high-density compute more operationally efficient than legacy air systems.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Hybrid probably the key"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Hybrid probably the key</h2> <p>Meanwhile, there is also the possibility of a hybrid approach structured around the lifecycle phases of AI.</p> <p>For the resource-intensive training phase – where thousands of GPUs must be tightly clustered together to ingest petabytes of data over weeks or months – the corporate datacentre is definitively unviable. This work will be outsourced to specialised hyperscale or colocation environments that possess the native 800VDC electrical distribution and high-capacity liquid cooling loops.</p> <p>But once a model is trained, the operational focus shifts entirely to inferencing that requires significantly lower computational density per query and must be located physically close to the company’s operational data stores to minimise network latency and comply with data protection legislation.</p> <p>This is where the on-premise liquid-cooling services described by Carlini might find their home. In this scenario, enterprise datacentres will be retrofitted to support compact, highly efficient, liquid-cooled inferencing zones.&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="CIOs should audit their requirements"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>CIOs should audit their requirements</h2> <p>The advent of direct-to-chip liquid cooling has dissolved the traditional datacentre playbook. The legacy corporate server room cannot adapt to the physics of modern accelerated silicon.</p> <p>CIOs who try to force AI workloads into traditional air-cooled configurations potentially face thermal throttling, energy waste and ballooning costs. But also, those who attempt to build on-premise replicas of hyperscale datacentres risk capital lock-in on infrastructure that could be obsolete by the next chip generation.</p> <p>The path forward requires a rigorous, application-driven approach to infrastructure. CIOs should audit their AI application pipelines separately from high-density training needs and localised inferencing.&nbsp;</p> <p>A hybrid model can leverage the scale of specialised colocation providers for heavy lifting, while preparing their internal teams to adopt standardised, closed-loop liquid systems for secure inferencing.</p> </section> Does substantial GPU power draw and liquid cooling mean the end of the on-premise datacentre? We look at the AI factory revolution and find that a hybrid path for enterprises will likely still exist https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/3assemblyCrew-PR-Schneider-Electric-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643672/Datacentre-dive-Do-AI-datacentre-physics-make-on-premise-unviable Wed, 27 May 2026 09:15:00 GMT <p>If one were to ask most people what they know about Kazakhstan, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they were to describe it as a fossil fuel-rich former Soviet republic. Indeed, that is what the world’s ninth-largest country by land area and largest landlocked nation is.</p> <p>Yet while that is accurate to say right now, the Kazakhstan government is planning a future that looks rather different. A digital transformation across the nation is in play, looking to take advantage of the country’s natural resources and its strategic geographic position between Russia and China to create a land where critical infrastructure encompasses data networks and connectivity lines in addition to oil pipelines. And where telcos are already primed to plug in to the opportunity coming from a national story that a global audience is ready to hear.</p> <p>This story begins at <a href="https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/maidd?lang=en">Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development</a>, also home to a digital government, where the minister of the department and the country’s deputy prime minister, Zhaslan Madiyev, is keen to show the country’s high-tech transitions and just how advanced technology will play a part in the nation’s future. This process has been 10 years in the making.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Digital ambitions"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Digital ambitions</h2> <p>Madiyev is helming what is claimed to be one of the most ambitious digital transformation programmes in Central Asia, where artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace and infrastructure will underpin daily life for 20 million people. <a href="https://www.freedomholdingcorp.com/">Freedom Holding Group</a> – a leading retail brokerage and investment bank in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, which has a variety of assets including one of Kazakhstan’s leading telcos – believes that under Madiyev’s watch, Kazakhstan has already boosted AI from a buzzword into international policy, making it part of life in restaurants, public services and the general economy alike.</p> <p>Explaining the current state of transformation, <span data-teams="true">Madiyev reveals that at the beginning of April 2026, more than 90% of government public services were available online – 1,300 in total – a</span>lmost 40 official documents are now available in digital format, and Kazakh law regards digital documents as the equivalent of physical documents. This spans travel, trains, flights, public government services and banking services.</p> <p>In the latter use case, service creation has been done in collaboration between the government and the private sector, especially banking institutions, which typically develop products and then share them with the national authority to extend them to the broader marketplace, such as the whole banking system.</p> <p>The net result has been quick commerce. “For example, through the bank application, you can register a client and sell a car in a matter of three to five minutes, without going to any windows outside,” says Madiyev. “You just register and sell the car online through the [digital] application. You can [do the same] to apply for a mortgage approval. This is the Freedom bank’s product, and through the smart bridge platform … the private sector can get access to all public services and databases.”</p> <p>Creating a cashless economy is another key objective. The minister notes that 90% of transactions in Kazakhstan are currently cashless, and he praises the banking industry for assisting the wider development of the industry after the Central Bank of Kazakhstan became one of the first central banks in the world to not only pilot a national digital currency but also to optimise blockchain programming.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Tech hub"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Tech hub</h2> <p>Madiyev also claims that Kazakhstan is already running the largest IT hub in the region. Capital city Astana is home to more than 2,000 companies – spanning startups to big tech – and calculations show Kazakhstan exports surpassed €1bn in 2025, around 65% to 70% of which accounted for by companies in the Astana region.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Kazakh-Astana-Hub-presentation-CREDIT-Joe-OHalloran-800px-h.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Kazakh-Astana-Hub-presentation-CREDIT-Joe-OHalloran-800px-h_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Kazakh-Astana-Hub-presentation-CREDIT-Joe-OHalloran-800px-h_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/Kazakh-Astana-Hub-presentation-CREDIT-Joe-OHalloran-800px-h.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo shows Astana Hub presentation" data-credit="Joe O’Halloran" height="164" width="279"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Looking at the global potential of the country’s IT sector, Madiyev emphasises the contribution of the country’s offices and teams in Silicon Valley and that from new facilities opened in Shanghai and Dubai over the past 12 months, and just how investment is being used to facilitate growth.</p> <p>“This is the infrastructure that our startups can use to expand to global markets, to go through the acceleration programmes there, to meet with the VCs [venture capitalists], to have co-working spaces there and to expand markets. Also, last year, we launched the venture fund of funds with the target size of US$1bn – $150m is already committed,” he says.</p> <p>“We have used those funds to support local [firms] because we see that our startups are growing, and perceived [startup]-level financing requires amounts less than $1m. It’s available for the stages like Series A, B and C [where] there is not enough financing,” adds Madiyev.</p> <p>“But to become a unicorn, most of the companies need six to seven rounds of financing. And that’s why we need larger cheques – one million, five million, 10 million cheques – which [to date are] not available. But we created a large venture fund, and now we will be developing the regulation, and we will try to involve the banking sector. We think this VC market is so important.”</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="National strategy"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>National strategy</h2> <p>As it goes forward, the country is pursuing a national digital strategy based on three constituent parts: an institutional framework, new infrastructure and data, and advances in human capital.</p> <p>The institutional framework takes the form of an AI development council under the chairmanship of the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with 17 members of the global technology community.</p> <p>The latter include American theoretical computer scientist John Hopcroft and compatriot computer scientist Peter Norvig; Taiwanese computer scientist, investor and author Kai-Fu Lee; American economist Laura D’Andrea Tyson, who was formerly an adviser to Bill Clinton when he was US president; UAE minister of state for artificial intelligence, digital economy and remote work applications Omar Sultan Al Olama; American AI and robotics scientist and entrepreneur Cynthia Breazeal; Joseph Ito, a leading AI policy adviser in Japan and expert in crypto industry; and Olaf Groth, a futurist and strategist for transformations of economies, industries and organisations driven by AI, data, compute and cyber.</p> <p>AI is indeed the key focus and driver of the venture, and in 2024, the ministry approved a five-year AI development programme. In addition to technological developments, the programme also encompasses AI law and a digital code. Yet Madiyev stressed that the aim was not to over-regulate AI, but instead to take into account ethical standards, terminology and labelling of AI components. Such a framework is particularly necessary given that AI is extending into all areas of the digital programme, such as being embedded into the educational system.</p> <p>As regards the essential infrastructure on which the digital transformation will be based, the programme boasts that it has launched the two largest supercomputer clusters in the region.</p> <p>The Alem.Cloud and AL-Farabium supercomputers were launched in 2025, both based on an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/news/366559236/Nvidia-intros-new-H200-for-running-large-AI-workload">Nvidia H200 graphics processing unit (GPU)</a>, which is designed with high-bandwidth memory capacity to accelerate generative models and large language models (LLMs). These are used to support the Kaz national LLM on Llama 3.1 with 70 billion parameters, the AlemLLM with Yi-Lightning <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366628632/DeepSeek-shows-enterprises-model-distillation-opportunity">DeepSeek</a> with 246 billion parameters, and Sherkala on Llama 3.2 for eight billion parameters.</p> <p>This technical capability is said to have ultimately allowed the infrastructure to have a “Kazakhstani context”, embedding local cultural aspects in the language models, and being able to use them in a closed on-premise format. Yet in this regard, Madiyev is also keen to point out that the framework does not geo-politicise sensitive data to external datacentres.</p> <p>Kazakh public sector employees have access to the GPUs, the supercomputer resources, datasets, LLMs and training through a national AI platform. The AI ministry takes responsibility for developing AI agents and adopting them throughout the government, and then trains people to use AI in their specific industries.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Datacentre valley"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Datacentre valley</h2> <p>One key future infrastructure project is the creation of a datacentre valley, which will be offered to leading hyperscalers and big tech companies. In this, Madiyev stresses that the project will leverage Kazakhstan’s “abundance” of cheap energy, which is leading the ambition to offer at least 1GW (gigawatt) of computing power. The programme has already allocated 300MW (megawatts) of capacity available at the price of 2.5 cents per kilowatt. Added to these technical capabilities, the Kazakhstan government says it is ready to provide zero tax and other regulatory incentives and offer services on a one-stop shop format.</p> <p>From a networking perspective, the infrastructure offers low latency to Europe, ranging from 57ms (milliseconds) to 70ms, which is said to be enough for inference work. There is also a commitment to a national <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640252/Openreach-trials-pioneering-fibre-optic-water-leak-detection">fibre optic network</a>, and the ambition is for 92% of the country’s villages to have fibre access coverage by 2027. At the same time, the government plans to have 60% to 75% national 5G mobile connectivity, for smaller conurbations and large cities respectively.</p> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/computerweekly/Kazak-deputy-PM-Zhaslan-Madiyev-140x180px.jpg" alt="Photo of Zhaslan Madiyev, minister of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, and deputy prime minister"> </div> <p>“Our startups can use [the new infrastructure] to expand to global markets, to go through the acceleration programmes there, to meet with the VCs, to have co-working spaces there and to expand markets”</p> <p><em><span style="color: #34495e;">Zhaslan Madiyev, Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development</span></em></p> <p>The Kazakh government is launching two major transit projects: a trans Caspian diversified internet traffic route and a west-east backbone. Madiyev stresses that having such connectivity with low latencies is an absolute necessity to attract the hyperscalers to the country.</p> <p>The government is also accelerating satellite connectivity, something wholly logical given the place that the Baikonur Cosmodrome has in the history of space travel, being the launch site of Sputnik 1 and Yuri Gagarin’s Vostok 1. It is still the world’s largest operational space launch facility, and Madiyev proudly observes that Kazakhstan is almost vertically integrated in terms of the space industry. He remarks that, in addition to the launch facilities, it also has a satellite production facility in partnership with Airbus, it is building an international satellite constellation and, since 2025, the country is exporting satellites.</p> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637031/Eutelsat-extends-Airbus-contract-for-further-low-Earth-orbit-OneWeb-satellites">Eutelsat’s OneWeb</a> and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640784/Starlink-reshapes-satellite-communications-as-industry-enters-terabit-era">Starlink</a> are already available, and the next 12 months will see the availability of Chinese state-owned <a href="https://sky-brokers.com/supplier/shanghai-spacecom-satellite-technology/">Shanghai Spacecom</a> and Amazon Leo, which has been <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641709/Amazon-acquires-Globalstar-to-expand-satellite-comms-business">ramping up its footprint in recent months</a>. To underline the commitment of these companies to the country, Madiyev notes that they are all building gateway stations and ground infrastructure in Kazakhstan to service not only the local territory but also the broader Central Asian region.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Digital heart"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Digital heart</h2> <p>Another key aspect of the programme is <a href="https://astanahub.com/en/">Astana Hub</a>, a tech cluster regarded officially as the heart of the country’s technology ecosystem. Located in the next block from the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the facility – employing more than 32,000 people – has the stated mission to “foster a startup culture and support high-tech projects to strengthen the country’s economy”.</p> <p>There are four strategic goals: train 10,000 AI talents by 2030, create a startup culture and support high-tech projects, create five unicorns (startups valued at over $1bn) by 2030, and achieve $5bn of annual tech services and product exports by 2030. In 2025, the hub generated $1.7bn in total revenues and $634m in expert revenues. It has also raised investment of more than $910m.</p> <p>There are five technology development centres in the hub. These encompass defence, drone technology, blockchain, space tech and game development. The Astana Hub Cloud looks to accelerate AI development by providing access to next-generation GPU infrastructure. Key features include Nvidia H100 and H200 GPUs optimised for deep learning and generative AI, an AI datacentre, 64 GPUs (eight per server), an InfiniBand Network, and an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) model offering flexible access to resources.</p> <p>Already, the hub hosts offices of major tech companies such as Playrix, TikTok, Telegram, Yandex, Glovo, in Drive, Damumed and Presight. In terms of startup developments, the hub also has the Google-backed Sılkway Accelerator. Claimed to be the leading programme of its kind in Central Eurasia, it supports startups that have reached the product-market fit stage – those that already meet market demand and have an established user base. The programme helps them scale, solidify their market position and prepare for investments.</p> <p>Talent acquisition forms the nub of the hub’s success. The Kazakh government says it has created special conditions for digital nomads, in particular as regards arrangements for the entry and stay of foreign specialists. Indeed, there is what is described as a “simplified procedure” for obtaining a residence permit for specialists and their family members from Visa category countries.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Partnering for success"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Partnering for success</h2> <p>Yet while there is no doubt about the ambition regarding the programme, it is equally clear that there are challenges for the government and the Astana Hub to overcome. Will they be technological, such as connecting a national infrastructure in such a vast country? Will they be social? Will they be educational? Will there be regulatory headwinds?</p> <p>Speaking with Computer Weekly, Madiyev accepts the existence of regulation and infrastructure issues and also highlights development, which he says should also be taken into account, something he says is a common challenge for many countries.</p> <p>“Fraud and scams are happening more and more, and they are growing. It’s becoming more difficult to cope with that and to catch up with the regulations and measures against this. Also, with SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises], we should take seriously how to teach them and how to embed AI in their [sector]. SMEs make up around 40% of national GDP, and there are around three million SMEs. That’s why we are launching those educational programmes.</p> <p>“Another challenge is that in the government, public sector and social services, it’s easier to measure AI because of the huge collection of data. But if you take the [private] economy sectors, the digitalisation of the data in those industries is somewhat around 50% to 53% in the energy sector, agriculture, industries and so on. This year, we’ll [also] be concentrating on issuing proper regulations on establishing the internet of things and the various tech solutions that will help to generate data. This is another challenge.”</p> <p>As seen with the activities at the Astana Hub, partnerships will be the key to overcoming challenges and headwinds – whatever form they take. And from a communications and connectivity perspective, <a href="https://freedomtelecominternational.com/">Freedom Telecom</a>, the comms division of the aforementioned holding group, will be a key player in realising the connectivity ambitions of the government, not only in terms of regular fixed and wireless offerings, but also in terms of realising the west-east fibre optic backbone.</p> <hr> <p><i>In <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Kazakhstan-The-Freedom-to-tap-into-data-reserves">part two of our look at Kazakhstan’s digital transformation</a></i>, <i>we find out which telecoms operator could be at the vanguard of this process. </i></p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in networking</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643095/Implementation-gap-threatens-progress-in-AI-and-5G">Implementation gap threatens progress in AI and 5G:</a> Despite current patchy deployment of key 5G services, study finds that across regions, company sizes and markets, telecoms leaders are strikingly confident about their ability to capture the next wave of growth.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642981/Nokia-enters-cognitive-broadband-era-with-agentic-AI-capabilities">Nokia enters cognitive broadband era with agentic AI capabilities</a>: As the telecoms industry looks to invest heavily in agentic AI, Nokia unveils a plan to tackle fibre and Wi-Fi challenges, boost user experience and increase operational efficiency.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642566/Extreme-Connect-26-Agent-ONE-takes-forward-network-AI">Agent ONE takes forward network AI</a>: Network firm launches ‘smarter, faster, autonomous’ approach to enterprise networking, with its operating model moving from assistive AI to autonomous, always-on operations.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641242/Cisco-network-readiness-a-determining-factor-for-AI-success">Network readiness a determining factor for AI success</a>: Report reveals how&nbsp;firms are harnessing AI to drive progress and overcome industry challenges, with most expecting ‘significant’ increases in connectivity and reliability demands.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Spanning huge distances, Kazakhstan has amassed riches from beneath its ground and its ability to launch rockets into space above. Yet the country sees its future prosperity in exploiting digital riches https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/Kazakh-Astana-aerial-YuTphotograph-getty-RF-hero.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Kazakhstan-Where-data-is-set-to-be-the-real-new-oil Thu, 21 May 2026 11:50:00 GMT <p>As it looks to evolve its line of vehicles in a market place increasingly dependent on IT and communications, global automaker Stellantis has expanded its partnership with mobile technology platform provider Qualcomm. The move enables Level 2+ hands-free autonomy at scale across millions of vehicles on a single, unified platform, replacing the fragmented tech stacks that Stellantis said have long defined the industry.</p> <p>As part of the deepened collaboration, Stellantis and Qualcomm Technologies have entered a non-binding letter of intent for the Stellantis-owned automated driving and simulation company, <a href="https://aimotive.com/">aiMotive</a>, to join Qualcomm Technologies.</p> <p>The stated core mission of <a href="http://www.stellantis.com/">Stellantis</a> is to “give customers the freedom to choose the way they move”, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its portfolio of iconic and innovative automotive brands includes Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys.</p> <p>The context of the evolution of the partnership is the dynamic that vehicles continue to evolve to be more centralised and technology-driven meaning the need for high-performance compute and AI capabilities is accelerating. The collaboration is designed to highlight the growing role of scalable semiconductor platforms in enabling faster innovation, improved efficiency and better experiences for customers.</p> <p>Through its latest collaboration with Qualcomm, and by deployment of the <a href="https://www.qualcomm.com/automotive/solutions/snapdragon-ride">Snapdragon Ride Pilot platform</a>, Stellantis is said to be extending its &nbsp;beyond cockpit and connectivity to power <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641586/Qualcomm-expands-strategic-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-immersive-eyewear-collaborations">advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)</a> and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640033/Wayve-gears-up-with-end-to-end-AI-for-autonomous-vehicles">automated driving</a>, establishing a common, scalable technology foundation across its auto brands and driving cost efficiency through platform standardisation.</p> <p>Together, Stellantis and Qualcomm Technologies are primarily aiming to deliver smarter, more intuitive and safer vehicle experiences to customers. It is also designed to deliver safer, smarter and more seamless in-vehicle experiences.</p> <p>Qualcomm believes that what makes the collaboration particularly significant is its breadth. The technologies now power ADAS, cockpit, and connectivity across Stellantis vehicles – all integrated as a unified platform within STLA Brain, the digital backbone of Stellantis vehicles.</p> <p><a href="https://www.stellantis.com/en/innovation/intelligent-vehicles-software">STLA Brain</a> connects all electronic systems and enables over the air (OTA) updates enhancing cockpit, connectivity and ADAS performance. The scalable technology foundation aims to accelerate time to market, enable continuous feature upgrades and enhance the driving experience.</p> <p>Its service-oriented architecture separates software from hardware and is attributed with delivering continuous innovation and AI readiness. The result is said to be a consistent foundation across the lineup, faster deployment and continuous over-the-air improvement, which is something Qualcomm said is hard to replicate.</p> <p>Built to scale across brands and segments, Snapdragon Digital Chassis SoCs are being deployed to support Stellantis’ broader strategy to improve cost efficiency through platform standardisation. The agreement includes the Snapdragon Ride Pilot ADAS platform that can scale from active safety and regulatory features to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/CES-2026-AI-gets-physical">Level 2+ hands-free autonomy</a> and beyond, enabling ADAS features across millions of Stellantis vehicles.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Building on existing work across cockpit and connectivity, the expanded collaboration will attempt to support greater compute performance and AI-driven capabilities across Stellantis’ vehicle portfolio.</p> <p>“Our customers deserve seamless, next-generation experiences that continuously evolve to meet their driving needs. By deploying this intelligent platform across our global portfolio, Stellantis is delivering on that promise with unprecedented speed and efficiency,” said Ned Curic, Stellantis chief engineering and technology officer. “This is made possible through our strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, which allows us to scale smarter, connected capabilities across all our brands.”</p> <p>Nakul Duggal, executive vice-president and group general manager, automotive, industrial and embedded IoT of Qualcomm Technologies, added: “This expansion reflects the scale and depth of what Qualcomm and Stellantis have built together. Snapdragon Digital Chassis enables scalable deployment of unified compute power and advanced driving capabilities across vehicles and brands, and extending that across the full Stellantis portfolio marks a meaningful inflection point for both companies and for the drivers who experience it.”</p> <p>As it was announcing its collaboration, Qualcomm revealed that its automotive business has surpassed $5bn in annual revenue and is tracking toward $6bn this fiscal year, with more than one million vehicles already in production running ADAS on Snapdragon Ride, stating that this marked a clear shift from roadmap to real-world deployment. ADAS now represents roughly a third of the company’s automotive pipeline.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about connected vehicles</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/CES-2026-Connected-vehicles-accelerate-the-pace-of-AI">Connected vehicles accelerate the pace of AI</a>: In a round-up of this year’s CES, we look at the rise of connected vehicles, robotics and artificial intelligence, with prototypes evolving into real deployments.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637420/Volvo-EX60-hits-accelerator-on-in-vehicle-connectivity-and-AI">Volvo EX60 hits accelerator on in-vehicle connectivity and AI</a>: Auto maker unveils comms, infotainment and artificial intelligence in all-electric vehicle, including system on a chip said to deliver the highest level of processing power found in its cars to date.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643272/Ford-accelerates-European-business-with-new-models-in-vehicle-smart-tech">Ford accelerates European business with new models and in-vehicle smart tech</a>: Car giant revs up European product and services roll-out tailored to customers’ unique demands, including expanding its line-up and connected services that turn vehicle data into measurable productivity gains.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636818/CES-2026-Qualcomm-expands-IEIoT-portfolio">Qualcomm expands IE‑IoT portfolio</a>: Edge AI technology made available for developers, enterprises and OEMs, integrating chipsets, software distribution and tools to scales across verticals.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Car giant to use digital chassis solutions to support advanced, unified compute power across the entire vehicles, including cockpit, connectivity and advanced driver assist systems https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Fiat-500-Collezione-PR.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643463/Stellantis-drives-Qualcomm-partnership-beyond-cockpit-and-connectivity Thu, 21 May 2026 10:58:00 GMT <p>In the latest development stage of the Matrix Cable System (MCS), its operating partners, Matrix Networks Pte and PT NAP Info Lintas Nusa – collectively Matrix NAP Info – have activated Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme coherent optical network technology to enhance submarine network connectivity between the Batam and Jakarta segment of the infrastructure.</p> <p>The <a href="https://matrixnetworks.sg/">MCS</a> spans 1,055km from Singapore to Jakarta, with one active branch in Batam. It is designed to provide high-grade bandwidth connectivity between major datacentres and internet exchanges in Singapore and Jakarta. Between the two cities, the line has 6.2Tbps lit capacity and 32Tbps maximum design capacity. Two additional branching units have been installed to enable extension of the network to Perth, Australia, and to other existing cable or south-east Asian destinations.</p> <p>To protect against the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366631462/UK-needs-better-defences-to-protect-undersea-internet-cables-from-Russian-sabotage">growing global threats to subsea connectivity</a>, the cable is armoured and buried to provide reliability, as most of this route is through shallow water. Single- and double-armoured cable is utilised extensively on high-risk areas, while lightweight-armoured cable is used on the remaining segments. The cable is claimed to provide the best latency as it is the most direct path, with repeaters supplied by Tyco.</p> <p>With the <a href="https://www.ciena.com/insights/what-is/What-Is-GeoMesh-Extreme.html?channel=corpcomms">GeoMesh Extreme solution</a>, including&nbsp;WL6e&nbsp;and the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS), <a href="https://www.napinfo.co.id/">Matrix NAP Info</a> said it was aiming to deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity in support of growing demand for cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and datacentre services across Indonesia.</p> <p>In short, it is aiming to boost terabit-era submarine connectivity on the Batam-Jakarta corridor. The upgraded corridor also forms the high-capacity backbone that underpins Matrix NAP Info’s broader digital ecosystem, including MC-IX, Matrix Data Center, Matrix Cloud and Matrix Internet services.</p> <p>Ciena believes that by upgrading the Batam-Jakarta backbone segment with WL6e, which it boasts is the most spectrally efficient coherent optical engine commercially available currently, Matrix NAP Info has expanded the throughput of its existing fibre infrastructure without having to lay new cables. The upgrade was executed in partnership with Ciena’s accredited channel partner, <a title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/GshUCZ6wWJfxmNZJ4CNFgUBfpn2?domain=urldefense.com" href="https://www.terrabitnet.com/">Terrabit Networks</a>, with Ciena Services&nbsp;overseeing pre-deployment engineering.</p> <p>The deployment also sees Matrix NAP Info become one of the first operators in the region to commercially activate the latest generation of Ciena’s coherent optical technology on a live submarine cable system, delivering 1Tbps per wavelength channel across the 1,055km link. This is said to place Matrix NAP Info among a select group of global operators deploying terabit-class coherent optics on in-service submarine cable infrastructure.</p> <p>In addition, the deployment also allows Matrix NAP Info to enhance the capacity of its existing cable infrastructure to meet the growing demand for cloud, AI and content delivery services, while driving capital efficiency and supporting a reduced carbon footprint.</p> <p>Commenting on what the implementation represents, Matrix NAP Info director Omar Syarif Nasution said: “Activating 1Tbps per wavelength on our Batam-Jakarta submarine segment is not simply a capacity upgrade – it is a statement about where Matrix NAP Info stands in the global connectivity landscape.</p> <p>“By deploying the most advanced coherent optical technology available, we are future-proofing Indonesia’s international connectivity backbone and ensuring that our customers have access to the bandwidth they need to compete in the AI and cloud era. We are proud to be among the first operators in Southeast Asia to reach this milestone on a live submarine system.”</p> <p>Ciena’s ASEAN regional managing director, Alex Wong, added: “Indonesia is emerging as one of the most strategically important connectivity hubs in Asia-Pacific, driven by explosive growth in cloud adoption, AI workloads and digital services. A pioneer in connecting Indonesia to the rest of the world, Matrix NAP Info is unlocking new levels of capacity on its existing cable system with Ciena’s coherent optical technology.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about undersea connectivity</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642948/Zayo-Europe-opens-Genoa-fibre-network-landing-interconnection-hub">Zayo Europe opens Genoa fibre network landing, interconnection hub</a>: European fibre infrastructure provider expands Mediterranean footprint and regional Southern European network with point of presence in north of Italy.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643009/Via-Africa-subsea-cable-project-to-strengthen-European-African-connectivity">Via Africa subsea cable project to strengthen European, African connectivity</a>: Europe-Africa submarine cable project backed by consortium model designed to connect Europe to Africa along the Atlantic coast, enhancing the resilience and diversity of West Africa’s international connectivity.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640741/Colt-announces-subsea-terrestrial-network-routes">Colt announces subsea, terrestrial network routes</a>: Digital infrastructure company reveals plans to launch international connectivity routes connecting the US West Coast to Asia, marking the latest phase of its major global network expansion.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632788/EXA-Infrastructure-raises-over-1bn-to-support-digital-infra-boom">EXA Infrastructure raises over €1bn to support digital infra boom</a>: Global digital infrastructure platform provider refinances and expands its facilities, raising over €1.3bn to fuel network growth – including fibre footprint and subsea routes – and M&amp;A plans across Europe.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Optical comms tech provider sees 1Tbps per-wavelength deployment on undersea cable system, designed to position Indonesia at the forefront of next-generation digital connectivity https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/subsea-cable-submarine-abstract-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643342/NAP-Info-boosts-Batam-Jakarta-undersea-corridor-with-1Tbps-connectivity Thu, 21 May 2026 06:48:00 GMT 60 editor@computerweekly.com