Microsoft has announced the opening of its first datacenters located in the Middle East with initial availability expected in 2019. Located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, these data centers will deliver the Microsoft Cloud, comprising Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365.
Sayed Hashish, Regional General Manager, Microsoft Gulf, said, “Driven by strong customer demand for cloud computing, local datacenters were the logical next step given the enormous opportunity that the cloud presents. In areas like digital transformation, and the development of new intelligent services, our ambition is for the Microsoft Cloud to form a strategic part of the backbone for regional economic development.”
Microsoft also announced new cloud regions coming to Switzerland, the expansion of cloud options for customers in Germany, and the general availability of Azure and Office 365 from new cloud regions in France. Over the last three years, Microsoft has more than doubled the number of Azure regions available.
Etisalat Digital will be collaborating closely with Microsoft as a Cloud Solutions Provider, offering integrated connectivity with Microsoft ExpressRoute as well as private cloud services using Azure Stack. The UAE-based telco is also providing consulting, migration and managed services to ensure the transition of business customers to the cloud.
