Microsoft to open data centres in Toronto and Quebec City

Microsoft has announced that it will open new data centres in Toronto and Quebec City but the company is not disclosing the exact locations of the centres or the number of jobs that they will create due to security concerns.
Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner made the announcement at the Delta Toronto on Tuesday morning, calling it “one of the most exciting and significant announcements in Microsoft’s 30 year history in Canada.”
“These facilities will be the physical home to the technological hardware that powers the Microsoft Cloud and its capabilities. Now customers across Canada will be able to enjoy the benefits of all commercial cloud services on their terms,” Turner said. “Our investment in local cloud services reflects Microsoft’s deep and growing commitment to Canada and how strongly we believe in the future and potential of Canadian private and public sector businesses and organizations.”
The Microsoft Cloud service allows customers to store their data at the company’s centres without having to use and maintain their own servers.
To date, Microsoft has built cloud service data centres in 18 different countries. Worldwide, the company has invested $15 billion in cloud service infrastructure.
“It is particularly exciting for us to see Microsoft strengthen its operations here because it elevates and reinforces our status as a centre of innovation,” Mayor John Tory told reporters at the news conference. “This will help us to attract more jobs to Toronto and more investments to Toronto and at the end of the day that is the most important single thing that governments can do.”
While there are already 80,000 Canadian users of Microsoft’s cloud services, Microsoft Canada President Janet Kennedy said that by opening new data centres in Canada the company hopes to attract new customers that were previously concerned about having their data stored in foreign countries.