Microsoft builds three cloud data centers in Austria, invests 1 billion euros

Austria is to become an important region for cloud computing producers. Microsoft will open a total of three of these in the coming years and has just purchased the third site for this purpose. A total of around one billion euros is to be invested in the expansion.

Microsoft chews up third plot for cloud data center

As the business magazine Gewinn reports, Microsoft has purchased a third plot of land in Achau, Austria. There, on 37,000 square meters, the group’s third cloud data center is to be built in eastern Austria. The property in the Mödling district is said to have cost around 17.7 million euros.

In total, the construction of the cloud infrastructure is expected to cost around one billion euros. The locations of the data centers are actually secret. However, the report goes on to say that Microsoft had already purchased 40,000 square meters of building land in Schwechat at the beginning of 2021. In the summer of the year, another 60,000 square meters followed in Vösendorf in the district of Mödling and now just, in the same region, another almost 37,000 square meters.

In Austria, for Austria

Back in December 2020, Microsoft announced the construction of cloud data centers “in Austria, for Austria”. Microsoft itself described the decision as an important milestone for Microsoft in Austria.

“Microsoft’s decision to make Austria a cloud region is a great opportunity for the Austrian economy and represents a decisive competitive advantage. Austria is to become a European pioneer in the field of digitalization, which also requires the expansion of digital infrastructure,” said Sebastian Kurz, Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, at the time.

The Austrian data center region is to be incorporated into Microsoft’s global cloud, which thus now comprises 64 regions. Microsoft Azure is thus available in over 140 countries. In addition, there are cloud services such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.

Key corporate customers of Microsoft’s cloud services in Austria include, for example, Austrian Airlines, AVL Racing, Constantia Flexibles Group, Porsche Holding, Raiffeisen Bank International and RHI Magnesita. Customers such as Erste Group and BAWAG Group have already confirmed that they intend to rely on Microsoft cloud services from the Austria region as soon as they are made available.

With the purchase of around 140,000 square meters of land, construction should be able to begin soon. However, it is still unclear when the cloud data centers in Austria will be completed.