Microsoft Expands Its Data Center Capacity in Europe by 40 Percent and Introduces Five Digital Commitments to Support the European Digital Ecosystem, Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Economic Resilience
Microsoft Makes Five New Commitments to Europe, Including Expanding Its Data Center Capacity by 40 Percent in Sixteen Countries by 2027. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s President and Chief Legal Officer, Announces This During an Event in Brussels. He Outlines These Promises in a Blog Post.
Furthermore, the Company Says It Will Strengthen the Continent’s Digital Resilience, Even During Geopolitical Tensions, and Guarantees That European Customers’ Data Will Remain Processed and Protected Within Europe. Additionally, Microsoft Allocates Extra Resources for Cybersecurity, Appoints a European Deputy CISO, and Supports European Economic Growth by Offering Open Access to AI and Cloud Services, Including for Open-Source Developers.
Infrastructure expansion
Microsoft Plans a Significant Expansion of Its Cloud Services in Europe, With Data Center Operations in Sixteen Countries. By 2027, the Company Aims to More Than Double Its Capacity Compared to 2023. The Expansion Is Intended to Help Countries Better Utilize Cloud and AI Technologies. The Infrastructure Will Operate Within European Legislation and Be Supported by Partnerships Such as Bleu in France and Delos in Germany, Focused on Sovereign Cloud Solutions.
Under the ‘Digital Resilience Commitment’, Microsoft Promises to Protect European Governments Against Possible Interruptions of Cloud Services by Foreign Governments. If an External Party Ever Demands That Microsoft Cease Its European Services, the Company Will Take Legal Action to Prevent It. Additionally, Backups Will Be Stored in Switzerland, and European Partners Will Be Authorized to Keep Services Running in Case of Emergencies.
Five promises
Regarding Privacy, Microsoft Points to the Completion of the EU Data Boundary Project. This Gives European Customers the Ability to Fully Retain and Process Their Data Within the EU and EFTA. Additional Security Options Such as Confidential Processing and Customer-Managed Encryption Keys Are Meant to Enhance Data Privacy.
For Cybersecurity, Microsoft Appoints a Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Europe. This Role Is Responsible for Ensuring Compliance With European Regulations Such as the NIS 2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). Microsoft Also Promises an Independent Audit of Its Compliance With This Legislation.
Finally, Microsoft Confirms Its Support for European Economic Competitiveness, Including by Offering Open Access to AI Models on the Azure Platform. European Companies, Including Factorial, iGenius, and Visma, Are Already Using This. The Tech Giant Also Emphasizes Its Collaboration With Open-Source Technology and Removes Costs for Data Migration Between Cloud Providers.
With These Five Commitments, Microsoft Explicitly Positions Itself as a Partner for European Governments and Organizations in the Further Digitalization of the Continent.