OMEN
08-31-2010, 09:02 AM
IDG News Service - Microsoft is to build another large data center, this time in Virginia, despite scaling back plans for an earlier facility in Iowa.
Microsoft will spend $499 million to build a data center in Mecklenburg County in Southern Virginia, the state's Governor Bob McDonnell announced in a statement Friday. About 50 people will work at the facility.
McDonnell said Virginia beat out North Carolina and Texas for the deal.
The facility will be one of Microsoft's Generation 4 data centers, meaning it will be built primarily with containers filled with servers. Microsoft first described its Generation 4 data centers in 2008, saying the modular setup would allow for energy efficiency, cost savings and quick deployment.
The Governor's Opportunity Fund will provide a $2.1 million grant to "assist" the county with the project. Key to Microsoft's decision to choose Virginia were Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative's fiber network and Dominion Virginia Power's competitively priced, clean energy supply, according to McDonnell's statement.
Microsoft did not reply to a request for further details.
In 2008 Microsoft unveiled plans for a data center in Iowa that would cost $500 million to build and employ a reported 50 to 75 people with annual salaries of $70,000. In June it said it would now spend $100 million on the facility instead, and employ 25 people with average wages of $31.04 per hour.
Microsoft has other large data centers in Chicago; San Antonio, Texas; Quincy, Washington; and Dublin, Ireland. They support what Microsoft hopes will be a growing online services business, including hosted enterprise applications and its Azure cloud development platform.
Microsoft will spend $499 million to build a data center in Mecklenburg County in Southern Virginia, the state's Governor Bob McDonnell announced in a statement Friday. About 50 people will work at the facility.
McDonnell said Virginia beat out North Carolina and Texas for the deal.
The facility will be one of Microsoft's Generation 4 data centers, meaning it will be built primarily with containers filled with servers. Microsoft first described its Generation 4 data centers in 2008, saying the modular setup would allow for energy efficiency, cost savings and quick deployment.
The Governor's Opportunity Fund will provide a $2.1 million grant to "assist" the county with the project. Key to Microsoft's decision to choose Virginia were Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative's fiber network and Dominion Virginia Power's competitively priced, clean energy supply, according to McDonnell's statement.
Microsoft did not reply to a request for further details.
In 2008 Microsoft unveiled plans for a data center in Iowa that would cost $500 million to build and employ a reported 50 to 75 people with annual salaries of $70,000. In June it said it would now spend $100 million on the facility instead, and employ 25 people with average wages of $31.04 per hour.
Microsoft has other large data centers in Chicago; San Antonio, Texas; Quincy, Washington; and Dublin, Ireland. They support what Microsoft hopes will be a growing online services business, including hosted enterprise applications and its Azure cloud development platform.