Microsoft invested over three billion dollars in cloud in Europe

In light of Microsoft’s significant investments in cloud computing in the cloud in Europe, CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith shared news about these developments today in Dublin. Nadella stated that Microsoft has more than doubled its cloud capacity in Europe over the past year. He also highlighted that the company has invested over three billion US dollars across Europe so far and that Microsoft intends to deliver Microsoft Cloud from data centers in France, starting in 2017.

New cloud investments are helping clients – including the UK Ministry of Defence, Renault-Nissan, the Irish Health Service Executive, and ZF from Germany – to create innovations in their industries and move their businesses to the cloud while achieving the necessary sovereignty, security, and compliance of European data.

– We continue to make significant investments in cloud infrastructure to meet the growing demand from European customers and partners, said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

– Building a global, reliable, intelligent cloud platform is at the core of our mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. There has never been a better time for organizations across Europe to seize new growth and opportunity with Microsoft Cloud.

As part of these activities, Microsoft announced that it plans to offer Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365 from multiple data centers in France starting in 2017. Additionally, investments in data centers in the Netherlands and Ireland, which continue to expand, along with locations in Austria and Finland, enable Microsoft to meet the expected demand from customers in Europe and provide them with greater opportunities for the digital transformation of their organizations through the cloud, addressing security and compliance needs with an understanding of where their data resides. Microsoft Cloud, including Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365, offers customers a reliable global infrastructure with 30 existing and 36 announced data centers – more than any other major cloud service provider in Europe and the world.

– The cloud has the potential to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges and, as is the case with all technological advancements, raises important societal questions, said Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. – We must work together to create a cloud for the public good. We hope that the ideas from this book will help increase the use of technology while ensuring that no one is left behind.

The tour continues after Dublin in Paris, Berlin, and London, during which Microsoft leaders will meet with customers, partners, developers, and government representatives from European countries. The events will include lectures in each market and meetings with youth, including female developers in Paris and refugees in a primary school in Berlin using Microsoft software to learn the German language.

As a contribution to the discussion on the importance of the cloud, Microsoft today published the book “Cloud for Global Good” which contains 78 recommendations for public policies in 15 categories to increase trust in cloud technologies as well as its inclusiveness. Topics include skills for future generations, enhancing security and privacy in the digital age, sustainable environment, community safety, and ensuring a better future for new generations. Some recommendations address challenges such as disruptions in data flow that can undermine the provision of some socially important services, protecting individuals from online fraud and exploitation, and ensuring that people with disabilities have access to e-services from local and national authorities.