Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecoms provider, is set to begin work next month on a new data centre in Berne-Wankdorf. 

The new building is set to replace the existing Zentweg data centre in Berne Ostermundigen and will provide sufficient space for IT outsourcing and managed housing services. After the initial stage of construction the data centre will have a server area of 2,300 sq m which could be expanded to 4,000 sq m subject to requirements. Swisscom is set to invest around CHF 100 million in the development of the new data centre by 2014.

The planned Swisscom data centre in Berne-Wankdorf will be cooled using recirculated air, supplemented in the height of summer by evaporation. For the first time, this evaporation will be achieved using rain water. This will hugely reduce the amount of fresh water consumed or even remove the need for it completely. The data centre will also be integrated into the city of Berne’s waste heating network. This will ensure that waste heat is used to provide heating for neighbouring homes and offices. 

The data centre will employ an innovative emergency power supply system with no-break units. Acid batteries to maintain the power supply in the event of network failure will no longer be used. In the event of network failure, a permanently operating flywheel mass will drive the generator until the diesel units take over this task. This method helps protect the environment.