January 23, 2018

Microsoft to open 4 data centers in France

The move aims to meet strong customer demands in the face of strong competition with AWS.

Telecom giant

Tech giants Microsoft have announced that they will soon be launching 4 data centers in France to meet the rising demand for cloud computing in the region. The move also aims to compete with AWS who have recently launched a cloud region in France to cater to startups and enterprises.

According to Microsoft, France is undergoing a flux in terms of cloud adaptability which has led to a spurt in the demand for data centers. They further added that France would be Microsoft’s fourth country after Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands as far as data center expansion in Europe is concerned.

Explaining the demand for cloud computing and data centers in Europe, Carlo Purassanta, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft’s France office, commented:

There’s strong demand from our clients. A lot of them prefer to have (cloud computing) infrastructures and their data in their home territory.

Microsoft say that the data centers would be launched by the end of the first quarter this year. They further added that with the launch of these data centers, they aim to quickly bring on board those companies that have been ardently waiting for more data center facilities in France.

Supporting this statement, Purassanta added:

We already have several thousand that have signed up for the centres.

In closing, Microsoft said that they have lent support to the startup community in France by beginning an AI factory to Paris. With these fervent moves made by Microsoft to pull clients for data center expansion, it would be interesting to watch how AWS react to this move made by Microsoft.