Amber Hickman |
Microsoft is launching a new cloud region in Italy to give organisations in the country access to scalable and reliable cloud services.
Three data centres will be built in the Lombardy region of Italy and will offer businesses the high-security and high-performance cloud services they need to accelerate their digital transformation. The project is part of Ambizione Italia, a five-year $1.5 billion investment plan that launched in 2020 and will create new growth opportunities for Italian businesses.
“Italian companies have long been renowned for their creativity, craftmanship and entrepreneurship, solidifying their position as some of the most esteemed and trusted brands in the world,” said Ralph Haupter, president of Microsoft in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We believe that Italy’s vibrant business landscape deserves the best technological infrastructure available. With our new data centre region in Italy, we are empowering Italian organisations to seize the opportunities of the digital age, more easily scale their operations internationally and leverage new technologies such as artificial intelligence.”
Microsoft will also be providing cloud services to the Italian Public Administration as part of the National Strategic Hub by leveraging the Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty.
“With our first cloud region, we want to reinforce our commitment as the trusted partner for Italy’s growth through digital innovation,” said Vincenzo Esposito, country manager of Microsoft Italy. “Together with our ecosystem, we will support Italian companies with access to innovative and secure cloud services, improving competitiveness and sustainable development.”
According to IDC’s The Microsoft Cloud Dividend Snapshot: Italy research, the introduction of the cloud region will help generate more than 237,000 jobs.
Businesses using Microsoft Azure or Microsoft 365 will have access to the data centres first, with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform users to follow.