ENToday, everyone is dealing with data. From web-shops to the government. The total amount of data is continuously increasing. For example, 90 % of all world data was created only in the past 2 years. We build data centers to help store, manage, and disseminate this data. They serve as facilities that allow organizations to centralize IT operations. You probably know the importance of data centers. However, there are some impressive facts about data centers that you may have not heard of.
Sustainable and efficient
While a conventional data center requires as much electricity as a small town, today’s data centers are very sustainable. Some of them work purely on green energy. For instance, one of Yahoo’s data centers is powered by a hydroelectric plant in Niagara Falls. Nevada is home to the world’s largest data center, fully powered by solar panels.
Despite the common belief, data centers are built to use a minimal amount of electricity. This is possible due to the extremely efficient use of resources, and economies of scale. In the Netherlands, 64 percent of the Data Centers store the heat created by servers. This would be later reused to warm houses. Generally, the heat produced by the servers in Data centers can potentially provide heating to 200,000 households.
vBoxx hosts its data in a climate-neutral data center Evoswitch, which uses 100% green energy. Thanks to a highly advanced cooling system, only half the energy of a typical data center is necessary.
Data centers are just around the corner
The Netherlands has one of the best digital infrastructures in the world. Therefore, it makes a perfect location for Data Centers. Eleven out of 15 sea cables for digital traffic connect the USA and Europe through the Netherlands. No matter where you go in the Netherlands, there is always a state-of-the-art data center within 30 kilometers.
The Amsterdam Area is a popular location for data centers because of its extensive business network. Its perfect location and infrastructure are the reasons why almost one-third of Europe’s data centers are in the Amsterdam Metropolitan area. Altogether the Netherlands holds nearly 200 high-class data centers.
Inside out secure
Data Centers need to work 24/7. That’s why it is crucial that nothing disturbs their work. Modern data center facilities can withstand natural disasters. Such as winds of 200 km/h and earthquakes of 9.0 magnitude. Fences usually surround the facilities. These are under 24/7 surveillance. Some companies, like Visa, even go the extra mile to protect their data. For instance, one of their Data Centers is surrounded by an actual moat.
Apart from impressive outside defense construction, security officers are monitoring the facility round the clock. They are always ready to stop intruders. Taking pictures or videos is prohibited. To enter the facility you have to deal with strict documentation before you can enter.
As the digital world grows, data centers continue to develop to accommodate their needs. A great example is Project Natick, which is a self-maintained underwater data center. Microsoft has placed more than 800 servers in a 12-meter container and sunk it to the seafloor near Scotland. Last September, the container has been retrieved, and the results are promising! Who knows what else will the future bring for the Data Centers?