Microsoft to build new Europe data centres and expand cloud offering

Microsoft is to construct a number of new data centres in Europe while stepping up its cloud offering across the continent.

Growing customer demand has led to the US tech firm looking to increase its European presence, with data centres set to be built in France, Germany and Switzerland. 

With data centres in Paris and Marseille, Microsoft will open its Azure and 365 services to French customers for the first time. Naval Energies, a global player in renewable marine energies, Astrimmo, a leading provider of housing services in France, are among those to have already signed up to the service.

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In Germany, Microsoft’s additional investments aim to help empower more organisations and businesses in Germany and across the globe to digitally transform with cloud services.

"The new cloud services enable customers to digitally transform their businesses empowered by Microsoft’s global network and the latest innovative services while meeting their compliance requirements to store customer data in Germany," said Sabine Bendiek, Area Vice President, Microsoft Germany.

Carlo Purassanta, General Manager, Microsoft France, added: "We are convinced that this opening is the beginning of a new adventure – one in which we want as many French organisations and companies as possible to embark on, in order to accelerate the digital transformation of our ecosystem."