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What is the HAT Microserver?

The HAT (Hub-of-All-Things) Microserver is an open-source personal data technology designed to give individuals greater control over their personal data. It provides a secure, structured data environment in which information from different sources can be brought together, managed and accessed through standardised APIs.

Originally developed through the Hub-of-All-Things research programme led by Professor Irene Ng at University of Warwick, the HAT Microserver was conceived as an alternative to conventional digital platforms, where personal data is typically collected, stored and controlled by the organisations providing digital services.

Instead, the HAT introduces a different architectural principle: personal data can be organised around the individual rather than the organisation.

How does it work?

A HAT Microserver provides the technology for establishing a Personal Data Account (PDA), a logically separated data space associated with an individual.

Its key capabilities include:

• Personal data storage: Organises data from multiple sources within a personal data environment, rather than leaving it fragmented across separate applications and platforms.
• Data portability: Supports the acquisition and movement of data between systems through standardised APIs.
• Controlled access: Provides technical mechanisms through which authorised applications and services can access and interact with personal data.
• Application independence: Separates the underlying personal data environment from the applications that use it, allowing different services to be built upon a common data foundation.
• Open-source infrastructure: Makes the foundational technology available for inspection, development and deployment without dependence on a single proprietary application provider.

Why is the HAT Microserver important?

Most digital systems are organised around organisations and their databases. Each service maintains its own information about an individual, creating fragmented data, duplicated records and dependence on individual platforms.

The HAT Microserver changes the architecture of this relationship. By establishing a personal data environment that can interact with multiple applications, it makes personal data more portable and reusable.