British cloud and colocation provider DataCentred will build a 58,000 square foot data center at The Sharp Project – a digital content production complex in East Manchester.

The facility is designed to support growing businesses, and is especially suitable for media organizations.

“Our presence at The Sharp Project brings DataCentred one step closer to implementing our strategy of increased regional connectivity, which we are leading, as companies increasingly seek regional solutions to their data center requirements,” said Mike Kelly, CEO of DataCentred.

Out of London
DataCentred was founded in 2012 as an infrastructure business focused on the north of England. It runs infrastructure based on OpenStack, and is a silver member of the Linux Foundation.

The Sharp Project, which repurposes the warehouse previously occupied by electronics manufacturer Sharp, brings together design, advertising and media businesses - all of which rely on IT infrastructure in one way or another.

The upcoming carrier-neutral data center at The Sharp Project is DataCentred’s second site in Greater Manchester area. The company already hosts 850 racks at Michigan Park, on the MediaCityUK campus in Salford.

DataCentred says that its latest project will bridge two of the largest digital hubs outside of London, making it especially attractive to media organizations with a national footprint.

“It’s fantastic to partner up with such a leading force in the data center sector,” said Sue Woodward, founder of The Sharp Project. “Not only will our tenants and other local businesses benefit from having this resource on site, but, by creating a digital bridge across to our neighbors at MediaCityUK, the region’s biggest media hubs will be linked enabling even more collaboration.”

Both data centers enjoy a direct connection to the recently established Manchester peering point, IXManchester.

DataCentered expects the new facility to create 270 jobs in the region over the next five years.