D A T A C E N T R E P R E D I C T I O N S
such as WhatsApp , social media platforms , video conferencing tools and other digital services – fewer than half ( 45 %) of all those surveyed chose data centres , showing that the industry still has much work to do to address this disconnect .
Despite a number of broad similarities in attitudes across Europe , there were significant variations in both public understanding and opinions both between and within markets . For instance , people ’ s understanding of what data centres do was much lower in the UK , with 38 % choosing the correct definition , compared to other markets such as Germany at 66 %, the Netherlands and Ireland both at 60 %. This is surprising in view of the size of the
UK market and the strength of the UK ’ s digital services sector .
“ Data centres are the backbone of how we live and work today , but the degree to which they support our society is still largely misunderstood by the general public , as our research demonstrates ,” said Matt Pullen , EVP , Managing Director Europe at CyrusOne .
“ Misconceptions ultimately lead to mistrust , and this is why developing a sound understanding of public attitudes to data centres is critical to ensure that we can continue to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for the businesses that depend upon us and deliver meaningful benefits to our host communities . This was our impetus to conduct the survey and why we are sharing the findings so broadly .”
The importance of economic dividends on public sentiment
The research shows that the economic benefits that data centres can deliver are the most material to respondents , with two-thirds ( 66 %) agreeing that they bring value through job opportunities and 62 % agreeing that they contribute to economic growth in the local area . This increases to 71 % and 68 % respectively among those who have a data centre located nearby .
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