A 10-Hour Data Center Outage Is Testing the Ambitions of KKR, GIP

Core Insights - Data center operators aim for "five nines" reliability, meaning 99.999% uptime, making the recent 10-hour outage at CyrusOne's Aurora facility a significant concern for the industry [1][2] Company Overview - CyrusOne, acquired by KKR & Co. and Global Infrastructure Partners for $15 billion in 2021, is a key player in the data center market, which is increasingly competitive with firms like Blackstone and Blue Owl Capital [2][3] - The company operates over 55 data centers, with the Aurora facility being one of its older properties [5] Incident Analysis - The Aurora data center experienced a major outage due to a series of operational missteps, which led to significant trading disruptions for CME Group Inc. [5][20] - The facility's outdated architecture and lack of automation contributed to the failure, highlighting the risks associated with older data center technologies [20][22] Strategic Positioning - KKR and GIP express confidence in CyrusOne's strategy, emphasizing its potential to benefit from increasing demand in the data center sector [6][8] - The company is focusing on scaling operations and enhancing its competitive position amid the AI boom, although it has fallen behind rivals like QTS in market share [18][19] Financial Backing and Investments - KKR has been heavily involved in financing CyrusOne, including a $7.9 billion loan and a recent partnership with Energy Capital Partners to develop new data centers [4][23] - The firm is committed to investing in infrastructure that supports AI and reduces reliance on traditional power grids [23]