GDPR Compliance: Is your data centre partner prepared?

In case you’ve been too busy to know what we’re talking about, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new regulation that will give people more control of how their personal data is managed - coming into force on 25th May 2018.

While many businesses are rushing to ensure the data they hold on-site meets these new standards, they must also consider how any data of theirs held by a data centre is stored. We’ve outlined four key considerations when thinking about your data centre partner and GDPR compliance.   

Easy access to data, anytime, anywhere

The first thing businesses will need in order to maintain GDPR compliance is access to their data at any time. This access is key to enable companies to clear out old, archived data once it has served its purpose, or update records in accordance with an individuals’ requests (ie – mailing preferences, right to be forgotten, etc). If their data is stored off-site with a data centre then businesses should make sure their data centre offer full availability and uptime supported by efficient management processes.

The importance of transparency

GDPR stresses the importance of ensuring there is a transparent relationship between data processor (in this case your data centre) and data controller (your business). The end user should have total visibility of factors such as where copies of their data are stored, and whether the processor employs any third-party suppliers. Data processors are required to “allow for and contribute to audits” conducted by the data controller.

Consolidation of your data reduces costs and management resources

Keeping track of your data is essential. Part of the GDPR is that companies cannot retain legacy data on individuals beyond its intended purpose. No doubt there are businesses out there running servers with data that is no longer used, resulting in unnecessary energy consumption and wasted resource, both from a financial and management perspective.

Some companies may find themselves in the position of having disparate data and information stored across several facilities. Whilst this can be a challenge in in ensuring you can keep track of what data is where, in addition it means that it is necessary to ensure each of these data storage locations is set up to help you comply with the GDPR.

Keep data secure from ALL threats

You can’t think of data and not have the word “security” spring to mind. For many though, this word raises concerns around protecting data from cyber-threats, but for a data centre, it means protecting data from threats like power outages, network disruptions and natural disasters.  An essential consideration for data security is ensuring that where the data is stored has the robust facilities to mitigate or address such risks. Moreover, GDPR now requires you to include the ability to audit and evidence that security.

Datum’s data centre is GDPR-ready

Datum’s data centre is a first-class facility that is managed and run to the highest industry standards, enabling us to be ahead of the game when it comes to supporting clients in storing and managing sensitive data.

• Ownership of your data 24/7
  We have an extensive range of installed network carriers and cloud providers that facilitate fast, reliable connections, enabling clients around the clock access to their data.


• Transparency of operations supported by dedicated Client Service Management
  From the outset, Datum set up its service to provide transparency of operations to our clients. From proactive notifications of maintenance and operational status to regular detailed reporting, Datum’s approach to client service helps remove the potential distance that can be experienced when outsourcing any key function. Our experienced Client Service Manager is the ’go to’ contact for any support clients may need.


• Enjoy a flexible, hybrid solution
  The volume of data a business has is always changing, which is why we offer a flexible approach to our contracts in that they adapt to your changing requirements, whether it’s scaling up or down. Our colocation offering is also a perfect middle-ground for clients who don’t want to move all of their data to the cloud, but want to save money and improve resilience compared to running on-premise facilities.


• Peace of mind with our high-level security Datum’s location, Cody Technology Park, is a highly secure technology park in Farnborough. The park is highly controlled with advanced security-driven protocols in place. You can learn more about our data centre facility at Cody Park.


• Regularly conducted audits
  As standard practice, Datum holds a full record of who accesses the data centre and who has accessed your racks. Each person is individually checked in to the data centre and a strict record of key release, according to the permit log, is maintained and retained. All operational activities and incidents are also recorded to support security audits.

See for yourself why Datum is the perfect home for your data

The best way to truly appreciate the benefits of our data centre is to book a tour and have a look around.

To discuss logistics or any other questions you may have around our GDPR compliance before booking a tour, contact us and speak to a member of the team.