What you need to know
- Microsoft will open four new data centers in China, according to a report.
- The additional data centers will improve the company's service capacity in Asia.
- Microsoft already has six data centers in China, which are operated by 2IVianet.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it would "effectively double the capacity of Microsoft's intelligent cloud portfolio in China in the coming years." That announcement clarified that the company would open a new Azure Region in North China in 2022 through local operating partner 21Vianet, which already operates six Microsoft data centers in China.
A white paper cited by Microsoft in March states that the cloud market in China is expected to reach 300 billion RMB (about $46 billion) in 2023.
Microsoft has not shared a comment on the potential data centers at this time. While the company has not issued a statement about these new potential data centers, its comments from March illustrate the opportunity for expansion in China:
"Our intelligent, trustworthy, and neutral cloud platform has been empowering hundreds of thousands of developers, partners, and customers from both China and the world to achieve more with technical innovation and business transformation," said Alain Crozier, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Greater China Region. "The upcoming region will reinforce the capabilities to help further nurture local talents, stimulate local innovation, grow local technology ecosystems, and empower businesses in a wide range of industries to achieve more."
New data centers in China will allow Microsoft to deliver a better experience for Azure, Microsoft 365, and other services that rely on the cloud.
