Lenovo says that traditional datacenters are not fit for purpose, and must evolve to future-proof businesses across EMEA. This is based on research, but the PC and server biz has come up with some wacky possible designs, including one that is almost literally in the clouds.

Existing datacenter designs are falling short, we’re told. Lenovo cites research that found nearly half (46 percent) of corporate IT buyers admitted their current infrastructure does not support energy or carbon-reduction goals.

That sounds a little dry, so Lenovo worked with engineering firm AKT II and architects Mamou-Mani to brainstorm how datacenters might look in 30 years. The results are, well... interesting.

One scheme visualizes a Data Village, built using a modular, stackable system of datacenter units, located in urban areas close to (or on) water sources such as rivers or canals to take advantage of the cooling provided, and able to transfer waste heat to local amenities like schools or homes.

Another is the Data Spa, powered by geothermal energy and blended into a natural landscape such as a valley or geothermal pool. And if the images can be believed, people will wade through the water just meters away from racks of servers – a situation that would give any security manager sleepless nights.

Perhaps the most bizarre concept is of datacenters suspended in the air at an altitude of 20 to 30 km (12 to 18 miles) - a height that is above the clouds - so the facility can draw energy from solar power. Impractical? Yes. A tempting target for terrorists or hostile nations? Yes.

More down to earth is the notion of using disused tunnels, bunkers or other underground locations to site IT infrastructure. This reduces land use while allowing facilities to be setup in central locations with lower impact (think London tube stations such as Aldwych).

Lenovo says that subterranean sites “create a naturally efficient heat management system,” which anyone who has travelled on London’s Victoria Line in the summer will dispute.

Lenovo’s Datacenter of the Future study found that 92 percent of execs claimed to prioritize technology partners who reduce energy use and their carbon footprint, but only 46 percent say their current datacenter is designed to support these goals.

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Some 88 percent of respondents see data sovereignty as a priority, while 90 percent expect AI to significantly increase their organization’s data use over the next decade. Around 40 percent said their organization is not prepared for AI.

Informing the study was a survey of 250 IT decision makers in companies of 250 employees or more in Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and UAE.

And presumably some psychedelics. ®