Roughly two weeks following its plans to expand its European footprint, Microsoft Corporation announced its plans to establish its first cloud region in Austria.
The multinational technology company wants to accelerate its digital services in the region, helping the country’s SMBs, government agencies, and enterprises innovate storage solutions. With its broad ecosystem of digital services, the company can support Austria’s booming technology.
Austrian Federal Chancellery made the announcement that would allow Microsoft to build a cloud data center in the region. This deal will train approximately 120,000 Austrian citizens until 2024.
In addition, the company will bring up its revenue for Austria’s local business partners for up to $2.1 billion. There are a number of brands that are already existing customers, including Austrian Airlines, Porsche Holding, and Raiffeisen Bank International.
Part of the deal is for Microsoft to modernize the IT infrastructure of Austria’s governmental services and industry innovation. The tech giant is expected to advance cloud integration, enhancing the overall security and capabilities of the government services.
“This announcement represents much more than building data centers. It is an opportunity to bring Austria the technology needed for people, businesses, and government agencies to reimagine and transform their operations, grow their enterprises, and gain new digital skills,” said Microsoft in a statement.
Competitive Advantage
Microsoft Corp. decision to build its first cloud region in Austria is already a huge thing itself, as it serves as a competitive advantage over growing countries across the world. The collaboration between the government and the tech giant allows both parties to benefit from each other, increasing the bar for innovation.
“Austria should become the European frontrunner in the field of digitization, which also requires the expansion of the digital infrastructure. I would like to thank Microsoft for its commitment to our country,” said Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
Through this deal, the country’s leading businesses can flourish further, and people can gain new skills that would help them land significant jobs. Additionally, the government can transform its digital services, support online operations, and guarantee improved security.
Nearby Microsoft Azure regions include France, Germany, Switzerland, and northern Italy, which will get the fair share of coverage. Austria’s data center is the first in the country, paving the way for the ‘Center of Digital Excellence’ to modernize IT and cloud storage.
Microsoft also expands cloud zones in Brazil, helping companies address high workloads.
