Global software giant
Microsoft has bought a 200-acre plot of land in Quincy, Washington with a view to building a new data center. The deal is expected to be completed in January 2014 at an expected cost of $11 million. Construction will begin early 2014 and phase one of the project will be completed early 2015.
The purchase underscores Microsoft's shift in policy towards the cloud. The company will leverage its new center to expand its range of more than 200 cloud-based services including Windows Azure. The company previously built a server farm on 75 acres in Quincy in 2007.
Located in central Washington, Quincy is noted for its low electricity costs and is an ideal location for a new data center. Yahoo, Dell and Intuit have also built data centers in the area. Microsoft's new center will boost the local economy by creating around 100 full-time jobs.
Microsoft caters to more than 20 million businesses and a billion customers worldwide. One factor in its choice of Quincy is the fact the area offers power from hydroelectric dams located in the Columbia River. This type of sustainable energy fits Microsoft's environmental mission of minimizing its impact on the environment and its new facility will utilize technology designed to minimize water and energy usage. As part of its environmental strategy the company has also recently made a large investment in the upcoming Texas-based Keechi Wind Farm Project.
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