INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Data Centres
Microsoft’s first data centres are
launched in Africa
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M
icrosoft’s first data centres in
Africa are now open to customers,
with the general availability of
Microsoft Azure from new cloud regions in
Johannesburg and Cape Town. Microsoft cloud data centres in Africa and
will be followed in the future by Microsoft’s
cloud-based productivity solution, Office
365, and Dynamics 365, the next generation
of intelligent business applications.
The investment will drive significant
growth, in line with both the continent’s
Digital Transformation objectives and the
realisation of new economic opportunities.
The launch also makes Microsoft the first
global provider to deliver cloud services from
data centres on the continent, with the two
new regions joining the 54 available and
announced regions worldwide, more than
any other cloud provider. Over the past five years, businesses across
the continent have increasingly realised
the significant benefits of operating in the
cloud. According to the Cloud Africa 2018
report, use of the cloud among medium
and large organisations has more than
doubled from less than 50% in 2013 to
pervasive use in 2018.
Azure is the first of Microsoft’s intelligent
cloud services to be available from the new
But, while companies know the importance
of cloud, African businesses are still
concerned about cyberthreats, so the
security and reliability of cloud services
are pivotal when discussing Digital
Transformation. At the same time, cloud
services can help meet compliance for
evolving laws around data protection, which
have become increasingly focused on data
residency requirements.
With locally delivered cloud services from
data centres in South Africa, companies
now have the option to move to the cloud
while maintaining security and meeting
compliance needs in addition to benefiting
from improved performance, afforded by
the closer geographic location of the new
data centres.
Reghard van Jaarsveld, Engagement Manager
at Decision Inc, says the news marks an
exciting time form the cloud market.
“Having the data centres closer to home
will enable South Africans to experience less
latency on cloud services and enable support
for regulatory compliance with the focus on
the Protection of Personal Information Act
(POPIA),” he said.
“IT is a strategic enabler for business and
one of the critically important vehicles to
deliver this is through the cloud. Some local
companies have remained sceptical despite
the cost efficiencies on offer.
“However, the launch of these two
multinational data centres will change this
and reiterate the importance of going the
cloud route in a digitally connected world.
“These Azure data centres also see bundled
services on offer that enable companies to
get more value out of their data. Things like
machine-learning algorithms, scalable use
of Internet of Things integration, and other
related offerings provide business owners with
a wealth of locally available solutions.” n
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