Microsoft will launch its first cloud region in Malaysia with three data centers by mid-year, the tech company announced on Thursday. This move comes nearly a year after the company announced a $2.2 billion investment in the Southeast Asian country.
The data centers, collectively known as the Malaysia West cloud, will be located in the greater Kuala Lumpur area and are slated to begin operations in the second quarter. Laurence Si, managing director of Microsoft Malaysia, confirmed these details at a press conference.
Microsoft did not disclose the specific capacity of the data centers. When questioned about potential challenges in exporting chips to Malaysia due to U.S. export controls on semiconductor chips, Si stated that the company is closely monitoring the situation.
“At this point, everything is status quo for us. We do have a good relationship with all the various stakeholders. Everything that we intend to invest and go live with in our region, that continues to stay on track,” Si said.
In May of the previous year, Microsoft revealed its plan to invest $2.2 billion over the next four years to enhance its cloud and artificial intelligence services within Malaysia. Si anticipates that Microsoft’s commitments in Malaysia over the next four years will generate $10.9 billion in revenues and create more than 37,000 jobs.
“Local businesses and organisations will be able to innovate faster and more securely, driving the country’s progress towards becoming the hub for cloud and AI growth in Southeast Asia,” he added.
