For majority of humans the concept of a data center seems completely irrelevant to our lives. We understand there is a lot of data stored somewhere in certain conditions but where, why and how seems abstract and unimportant.

So imagine one day without a data center: You wake up, reach out for your telephone to check the weather for the day but the weather app is not working. Neither do your email, electronic calendar or even your telephone apps. You wanted to order some food online but online purchases are off too. You were planning to work remotely from home and have an online meeting first thing in the morning but neither Zoom nor Teams seem to work. So you go to the office hoping to meet people directly. Unfortunately the traffic lights in the whole city are off and the traffic jam is horrid with multiple car accidents on your way. It takes you 3 hours to get to the office, 2.5 hours longer than usually. Unfortunately the gate for the underground parking is not working as well so you need to park 1 km away in the street. The office lifts are down so you just climb the stairs for the 13th floor. And it is just the beginning of the disastrous day- a day without data centers.

Many aspects of our lives are strongly dependent on the internet, on data stored in clouds (liken the data in our smartphones) and data centers form the foundation of this digital infrastructure. The recent analyses by PMR company bring important conclusions regarding the dynamic development of data centers in Poland. The projected maximum power growth of over 400 MW is a clear indicator of the increasing significance of data centers in the national economy. This growth represents a significant leap compared to the approximately 120 MW registered in 2022, which demonstrates the growing demand for services provided by data centers. Therefore, without data centers, many services could not be delivered. Let’s imagine just a few hours or a day without data centers – a day when the digital infrastructure that supports more and more aspects of our lives suddenly disappears.

Data center management has undergone enormous changes over the past two decades. Initially focused on hardware maintenance and ensuring adequate infrastructure, it has evolved into modern, integrated ecosystems. Cloud technologies, automation and artificial intelligence play now a crucial role, helping to optimize management and minimize downtime risks.

If a digital infrastructure were in crisis

Companies from various industries, public institutions and medical care – all rely on data centers for storing their data. Digital ecosystems enable businesses to collaborate with partners, service providers and clients. If this infrastructure were to suddenly vanish, it would completely paralyze the operational capacity of all involved entities.

In the case of a complete lack of digital infrastructure, these losses would multiply, reaching multi-billion levels, adversely impacting the financial results of many companies. Furthermore, lack of data centers would affect process efficiency and access to crucial data, potentially leading to extended response times to changing market conditions. In the era of digitalization, many businesses rely on e-commerce, so the absence of digital infrastructure would also affect consumers.

A world without data centers would mean the loss of stored resources which could have serious consequences for the security and reputation of companies. They base their production processes, distribution and customer service on data access capabilities. If these resources are unavailable, it affects the entire supply chain, leading to delays, shortages of goods, and higher costs that ultimately burden consumers.

If a daily life came to a standstill

A world without data centers would mean no access to social media, online payments, online shopping, and the loss of customer data access, leading to halted deliveries. Modern technologies like artificial intelligence would also cease to function, putting a stop to many sectors of the economy that increasingly rely on these solutions. Imagine the automotive industry not receiving data from vehicles – this would hinder the further development of autonomous cars. Hospitals lose access to medical data, impacting patient care quality. Electricity producers can’t access energy consumption data, potentially causing supply shortages. These are just a few examples illustrating how the absence of data centers would affect our daily lives.

Underestimated value of data centers

The importance of data centers in daily life is fundamental. They house the data that powers our applications, social media and financial services. They form the backbone of the digital world on which more and more aspects of our lives rely. A day without this crucial infrastructure would equate to a serious crisis for people from different backgrounds and for the entire economy. Imagining a day without data centers highlights just how much we depend on this invisible yet vital technology.