Our official 2026 kick-off event: steering the course

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A good omen to start the day

It is often said that rain on your wedding day is good luck. We would argue that having a Datum-branded umbrella to shield you from that rain is even luckier.

We kicked off our 2026 company event with a rather brilliant surprise: seeing our branding feature prominently in a couple’s wedding photos. There stood the happy couple, immaculate in their finery, huddled safely beneath a Datum brolly. It was a poignant reminder to us all: always leave merchandise lying around – you never know when it might become the hero of someone’s nuptials.

With that auspicious start, we settled in to review the year that was and chart our path for the year ahead.

Thriving amongst the chaos: looking back at 2025

Our review of 2025 was aptly titled ‘thriving amongst the chaos’. The data centre industry, much like the rest of the world, had to navigate some significant hurdles. But, despite these, 2025 was a year of resilience at Datum. While the macroeconomic climate felt shaky to say the least, we kept going (and growing). It wasn’t always an easy ride – few sectors had one – but we emerged stronger. We didn’t just survive the turbulence; we managed to grow, adapting to external pressures without compromising the service levels our clients expect.

Our success in 2025 wasn’t down to luck (or wedding umbrellas). It was down to a steadfast refusal to be thrown by global instabilities and a clear understanding of who we are. We know our proposition. We know our strengths. And we certainly know how to handle a bit of pressure.

Steering the course: our vision for 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, the theme was decidedly nautical: ‘steering the course’, with metaphors involving rudders, compasses and steady ships aplenty.

The data centre market is evolving rapidly. We are seeing trends towards massive consolidation and commoditisation, where service becomes secondary to scale. That is not the Datum way. Our vision for 2026 is to double down on what makes us different. We live and die by our team – our people and our service are a key Datum differentiator. Yes, we provide high-quality colocation and facilities (the recent opening of MCR2 and the in-progress build of FRN2 reflect this) but we know the human element truly makes a difference for our clients.

Back to the nautical theme, for a moment …. We are clear on our course. The waters might be choppy, but our ship is sturdy, and our crew is exceptional. We will continue to focus on premium service, ensuring that while others might drift towards generic solutions, we stay true to high-performance, client-focused colocation.

Team building – the Taskmaster way

After the serious business of discussing our strategy and plans, we needed to clear our mental palates before dinner. Naturally, we chose the most sensible option: a Taskmaster-style team building event. Quite honestly, if you have never seen your CEO covered in pink post-it notes, you haven’t truly experienced corporate bonding.

The afternoon was a masterclass in problem-solving, or perhaps just creative chaos. We watched grown adults contort themselves into human letters to spell out words, and we discovered hidden talents within the ranks – some team members possess an uncanny ability to rip precise animal shapes out of plain paper. Others, it turns out, have spent far too much time practising throwing teabags into small pots from a distance.

This wasn’t just about making fools of ourselves (though we excelled at that). It was about strengthening our culture and driving collaboration across our two sites. Aligning our goals is easier when you’ve laughed together while trying to camouflage a team member against the interior furnishings.

And the winner is …

Ultimately, the green team took the crown, proving themselves the masters of obscure tasks and lateral thinking. But as we face 2026, we do so as a united front – ready to steer the course (always keeping a branded umbrella handy, just in case). If you’re ready to experience the difference that a dedicated team and high-quality service can make to your off premise data centre provision, talk to us today about your colocation requirements.

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