Microsoft Announces Africa Datacenters are available. Its Africa Cloud Regions are live.
Today, Microsoft announced its Africa datacenters are live. The two Datacenters located in South Africa will bring Microsoft’s total available and announced cloud regions to 54.
Microsoft says the datacenters will begin to generally offer Azure service followed by office 365 and Dynamics 365 services in the near future.
“Azure is the first of Microsoft’s intelligent cloud services to be delivered from the new datacenters in South Africa. Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based productivity solution, is anticipated to be available by the third quarter of calendar year 2019, while Dynamics 365, the next generation of intelligent business applications, is anticipated in the fourth quarter”.
The two regions, South Africa North and South Africa West are located in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively.
“Azure is the first of Microsoft’s intelligent cloud services to be available from the new Microsoft cloud datacenters 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.”
Announced first in May 2017 with initial availability in 2018. The infrastructure had some setbacks that Microsoft said had to do with third-party supplier unable to deliver to specification. It was however expected in 2019.
Yousef Khalidi Corporate Vice President of Azure Networking at the event said; “with the availability of Microsoft’s cloud services delivered from Africa it will mean local companies can securely move their business to the cloud”.
Microsoft becomes the first cloud provider ahead of Amazon and Huawei go to live with its datacenters. The other cloud providers are scheduled to open or run Africa cloud regions.
New Microsoft South Africa Managing Director, Lillian Barnard spoke at the event and had this to share.
“Technology is changing the way we live and work. She also says it will ultimately determine how businesses grow and innovate and Africa and Africa will not be left behind. At Microsoft we strongly believe that these substantial development in infrastructure, innovation and skills development will help South Africa navigate the fourth industrial revolution and set the country up for digital success. With today’s announcement we are aiming to accelerate these opportunities“.
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