International Data Center Day 2025 - at the heart of the digital transformation
A commentary by Roger Semprini, Managing Director Switzerland of the data center company Equinix.
March 26, 2025 was International Data Center Day. It reminds us of the indispensable, but mostly invisible, role that data centers play in the development of innovations that shape our modern lives. Data centers are far more than just "warehouses filled with servers"; they are the backbone of countless advances, including AI-powered solutions, that we encounter every day: from accelerating breakthroughs in research to facilitating lightning-fast financial transactions, from online gaming and streaming to social media and cloud storage, data centers are central.
The emergence of generative AI, real-time analytics and hyper-connectivity is not only transforming industries, but also redefining how we live, work and tackle global challenges. Data centers are at the heart of this transformation, serving as the engines for processing, storing and securing the data that drives progress. For this reason, the data center industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with $734 billion of investment announced in 2024 and 2025 by 20 leading data center companies (source generation.org).
Here in Switzerland, we are continuously investing in our five IBX data centers (three in Zurich and two in Geneva). The sixth expansion phase is already underway at the ZH4 data center in the heart of Zurich to meet the ever-increasing demand for connectivity. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2027. In Geneva, the GV1 data center has undergone further technological development and uses water from Lake Geneva for cooling.
The data center industry is at the forefront of the digital revolution. At Equinix, we are growing our data centers sustainably and are committed to a new generation of data center workers who will help keep the world connected. Together, we are shaping a future where technology is used for the common good, laying the foundation for shared progress.
International Data Center Day is about raising awareness of the data center industry and encouraging the next generation of talent to enter the industry.
Further information: https://www.equinix.com/de/de/
