Microsoft to open first data center in Romania, sources say

American tech corporation Microsoft bought a parcel of land in the north of Bucharest, in Otopeni, that is meant to host its new data center, according to Profit.ro.

“Microsoft has several medium and long-term projects ongoing in Romania. When they reach the necessary stage of maturity, we will make public statements regarding them. We have no comment to make at this moment,” company representatives said.

Microsoft’s data centers can be found in the US, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. The company also has numerous centers in Europe in countries such as Ireland and the Netherlands. Several other data nodes are located in France. Microsoft will be opening more data centers as part of its Azure global network.

Over 1,800 people work for Microsoft in Romania. In 2018, the American corporation decided to relocate its operations to a single headquarters, located in Bucharest. It found two office buildings with 23,000 square meters, marking the largest rental transaction of 2018.

After two years of remote working, Microsoft officially reopened its Bucharest offices earlier this month.

Investors believe that Microsoft’s increasingly large presence in the Romanian IT market is a positive sign for the future.

“Romania has the potential of becoming a data center hub,” Mihai Manole, managing partner of data center developer Tema Energy said, cited by Profit.ro.

The domestic data center market, which includes dozens of medium and large centers along with over one hundred smaller ones, will reach a valuation of EUR 50 million this year. Increased automation, IoT, and cloud storage are set to propel the sector forward in the coming years.

(Photo source: Cristina Ionescu | Dreamstime.com)