The rapid expansion of data centres has highlighted the critical need for robust physical security. As data becomes increasingly integral to both commercial and non-commercial entities, these centres face stringent security demands imposed by national and regional regulations.
Additionally, the sensitive nature of data places these facilities under the purview of the EU's NIS2 and Cyber Resilience Act. The financial repercussions of a data breach can be considerable, with the average cost projected at 3.8 million EUR by IBM's 2025 report. Beyond financial implications, breaches can inflict significant reputational damage and regulatory penalties.
Scalable access management
The security of data centres is intrinsically linked to effective access management. Since personnel, contractors, and visitors require different access levels, flexible and scalable systems must enforce strict policies, ensuring misuse is minimised and every event is meticulously logged.
Integration with HR and visitor management systems helps maintain current access rights, and real-time oversight is crucial for monitoring activities and compliance with standards like ISO 27001 and NIS2.
Comprehensive security solutions
The platform encompasses eight essential security tasks within a single interface
Jochaim Mahlstedt, Managing Director at Kentix GmbH, a part of ASSA ABLOY, elaborates, “As a powerful new addition to our stable of digital solutions, the KentixONE platform was designed specifically from the ground up for the white space of data centres.”
The platform encompasses eight essential security tasks within a single interface, ensuring robust security and monitoring capabilities for the ever-evolving landscape of data centres.
Granular access management
With its unique approach, KentixONE bridges physical infrastructure and IT operations, allowing for seamless integration with data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) and ticketing systems.
The platform supports fine-grained access management and real-time alerts, fostering full audit trails. Features like integrated cabinet access control and environment sensors enable operators to manage permissions, track interventions, and oversee energy usage. This comprehensive approach assists data centres in achieving security certifications such as EN 50600 and ISO 22237 while supporting scalability.
Advanced monitoring capabilities
KentixONE's fire detection feature leverages advanced thermal imaging, gas detection, and air-quality data, offering early risk identification in high-density environments. The system monitors over 40 potential physical risks, from security breaches to environmental anomalies, providing security managers with an accessible, real-time overview via their mobile app.
Versatile and cost-efficient applications
Reflecting on customer feedback, Joachim Mahlstedt notes that KentixONE delivers significant cost savings compared to traditional systems. Its adoption spans diverse settings, including a co-location facility in Heidelberg and a major utility’s on-premise solution. Mahlstedt conclusively states, “Data centers deserve a digital security management solution built entirely with their needs in mind. Now they can have it.”
Demand for data centres is growing at a remarkable rate. Data’s strategic importance, for both commercial and non-commercial organisations, makes physical security fundamental at these sites. In addition, national and regional regulations place ever more stringent requirements on in-house and co-location operators to take a secure approach to data management and protection.
Data’s sensitive nature also brings data centres within the scope of the EU’s NIS2 and Cyber Resilience Act1. Penalties may be severe for organisations which get data security wrong: the projected cost of an average data breach is 3.8m EUR, according to IBM’s 2025 annual report2. The penalty in terms of reputation and/or regulator fines could be even more.
Scalable access management
Because staff, contractors and visitors all require varying levels of access at different times, physical security depends on flexible, scalable access management. Systems must enforce strict, least-privilege access policies and prevent the misuse of credentials. Multiple layers must work together seamlessly, with every event logged and traceable. Integration between security, HR, and visitor management systems can ensure access rights stay current as people join or leave projects. Remote and real-time oversight are essential.
The goal is not only to prevent unauthorised access. Data centres aim to maintain a clear audit trail which satisfies ISO 27001, NIS2 and other standards. Intelligent security management underpins the data centre’s resilience and operational efficiency – deterring hybrid physical & cyber-attacks in the process, for example.
Portfolio of digital solutions
“As a powerful new addition to our stable of digital solutions, the KentixONE platform was designed specifically from the ground up for the white space of data centres,” explains Jochaim Mahlstedt, Managing Director at Kentix GmbH, part of ASSA ABLOY. “It performs eight critical security tasks within its one intuitive, integrated platform. With KentixONE, we can equip data center white space with the security and monitoring capacity it needs – now and well into the future.”
A recent addition to ASSA ABLOY’s portfolio of digital solutions, KentixONE is an integrated platform for physical security and critical monitoring. This unique solution combines 8 different data centre functions within one system, all accessible from a single, unified interface:
- access control
- intrusion detection
- video surveillance
- external fault report
- early fire detection
- environment monitoring
- power monitoring
- network monitoring
Granular access management
KentixONE strengthens data security by creating a direct link between physical infrastructure and IT operations: it supports seamless integration with data centre infrastructure management (DCIM), ticketing systems, and EAC solutions. It can keep sensitive operational data under local control while enabling granular access management, full audit trails, and real-time alerts.
At rack level, integrated cabinet access control, intelligent PDUs, and environment sensors allow operators to set temporary permissions, track interventions, and monitor energy usage by rack. Its integrated functionality and approach to risk management across multiple potential factors also helps a data centre to achieve important security certifications EN 50600 and ISO 22237. The platform is designed to scale from small technical rooms to multi-site data-centre estates, helping an organisation’s infrastructure to grow, evolve, or become more geographically spread without adding complexity.
Correlating thermal imaging
KentixONE’s early fire detection monitoring capability – before a fire breaks out – goes beyond conventional smoke-based systems by correlating thermal imaging, gas detection, temperature trends, and air-quality data to identify risks much earlier.
This is especially important in high-density computer environments and battery-powered infrastructure where traditional alarms often activate too late to be effective. Indeed, KentixONE offers real-time overview for more than 40 potential physical risk factors, from unauthorised entry and perimeter breaches to overheating, humidity changes, water leaks, and power anomalies. Everything the security manager needs is accessible on dashboards or via the convenient mobile app.
Container-based solutions
“According to many of our customers, KentixONE makes significant operational cost savings when measured against traditional siloed solutions,” adds Joachim Mahlstedt. “This also helps to explain why its wide adoption in a range of settings, including a co-location facility in Heidelberg, an on-premise solution for a major utility, and for a provider of modular, container-based solutions. Its flexibility and cost-efficiency are a major plus for data centre managers.”
“Data centers deserve a digital security management solution built entirely with their needs in mind,” he adds. “Now they can have it.”
