From a single room running overworked computers, to 20,000-square-metre facilities connected to enough electricity to power thousands of homes, data centres have come of age. The $24 billion sale of AirTrunk to Blackstone this week shows just how far the high-tech facilities have evolved.

Inside the sleek exteriors of the centres run by AirTrunk and its peers, is a technological marvel and a massive growth story. But developing and powering up such facilities involves much more than introducing some extensive kit to a well-built warehouse.