Kao Data, a specialist developer and operator of data centres engineered for AI and advanced computing, has named CBRE Group – one of the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firms – its new integrated facilities management (FM) partner.
CBRE was appointed for its global capability to support Kao Data’s European platform expansion and its exceptional reputation for managing hyperscale data centres and distributed real estate portfolios.
The appointment will reinforce Kao Data’s leading reputation for customer service, uptime, operational excellence and sustainability, and provide the highest levels of FM service and procedural standardisation across its existing and new, ‘next tier’ data centre locations.
As part of the new contract, CBRE will manage the complete spectrum of hard and soft FM services across Kao Data’s advanced data centre portfolio. This includes all physical structures, mechanical, electrical, cooling and fire systems within its London data centres, as well as its new Greater Manchester facility, which is anticipated to become operational in 2026.
CBRE’s hard FM and engineering services will include ongoing maintenance and support for Kao Data’s low-voltage and high-voltage electrical systems, including its Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), switchgear and HVO-powered generators, as well as its hybrid air and liquid cooling systems.
Additionally, CBRE will be responsible for delivering a host of day-to-day, front-of-house FM services, including management of security, access control and cleaning services across Kao Data’s facilities, and will integrate its acclaimed Critical Environments Risk Management (CERM) programme to better identify and reduce human-related risks, underpinning Kao Data’s reputation for 100% customer uptime.
“Our data centres are home to some of the industry’s most mission-critical computing environments, from global financial services to hyperscale cloud deployments, and GPU-powered AI research and development workloads,” said Pete Judson, COO, Kao Data. “To ensure we continue to deliver best-in-class service and resiliency across these systems, appointing CBRE was the obvious choice.
“CBRE’s reputation for continuous improvement and attention to detail, coupled with its consistently high standards of performance, make it the perfect FM ally – especially as we grow our data centre portfolio into new locations and markets across Europe,” added Judson.
Craig Bristow, Managing Director, CBRE Data Center Solutions UK, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Kao Data on their UK data centre portfolio and look forward to the future supporting them as they expand into new markets across Europe. We share a joint commitment to operational excellence and are dedicated to delivering a best-in-class service. Our team’s relentless focus on innovation and performance ensures that we are well-equipped to meet Kao Data’s evolving needs as they continue delivering their exciting growth strategy.”