In general, the IT industry is evolving at an exponential pace! And the modern-day data centres look nothing like what they used to a few years ago. These days data centres are far more efficient and produce less carbon emission. Right now, a handful of data centres are being built across the world, focusing more on sustainability than never before.
In this regard, the Redmond giant Microsoft has announced the launch of a world-class, sustainable datacenter region in Sweden in 2021 with a presence in Gävle Sandviken and Staffanstorp.
The Microsoft Cloud delivered from data centres will enable Swedish businesses to empower employees, engage customers, transform products, and optimise operations supported by advanced data privacy and security.
Invested €1M
The company claims that continued investment in community development to support new economic opportunities in the region in which it operates and across the country is critical for it. To date, Microsoft has invested $1.25M (approx €1M) in Sweden in partnership with 13 organisations to advance STEM programs focused on youth, skilling, and culture.
“We believe that digital transformation should always be both inclusive and sustainable. As such, we will provide digital skills training for up to 150,000 citizens, to help support their employability and empower them to take advantage of the opportunities that this investment brings to Sweden. It’s a game-changer that the new cloud region will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, thanks to our partnerships with Vattenfall and a world-class sustainable design,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations.
Why Sweden?
According to Microsoft, Sweden is a country of strong commitments towards sustainability and innovation. The new datacenter region will be the first hyper-scale cloud region to use the Vattenfall 24/7 solution in a commercial product.
It enables Microsoft and other Vattenfall customers to see if its 100 per cent renewable energy commitment covers each hour of consumption and to translate sourcing of renewable energy into climate impact.
The company’s data center region in Sweden will seek zero-waste certification and will include a Microsoft Circular Center, designed to extend the life cycle of servers through reuse and support a circular economy for the Microsoft Cloud.
Notably, Sweden’s Microsoft Cloud region will join the largest cloud infrastructure in the world and will deliver: Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365, and Power Platform.
The Sweden datacenter region will help customers store data at rest in Sweden and comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The new region will also deliver Availability Zones, which are fault-isolated locations within an Azure region, enabling customers to design their applications with additional tolerance to datacenter failures.
Swedish customers and partners are already driving business transformation with the Microsoft Cloud, including H&M Group, Sandvik Coromant, and Accenture Sweden, who have all expressed their intent to use Microsoft Cloud services when available from the new region in Sweden.
Microsoft is also advancing its work with the #SkillUpSweden initiative, announcing a new collaboration with Sigma Young Talent to support young professionals in AI and cybersecurity skills. #SkillUpSweden aims to provide digital skilling opportunities for up to 150,000 Swedes to strengthen their technical competence and builds on Microsoft’s goal announcement this year to help 25 million people globally acquire new digital skills.
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