Microsoft has turned its eye towards Greece with an announcement on Monday that it will build a series of data centers there as part of a new data region. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a press release that his company's ongoing investment in Greece would be the biggest in its 28 years of doing business there.
As part of Monday's announcement, Microsoft also said it would create a training program for around 100,000 people in Greece as part of its expanded effort in the country.
Microsoft's Azure cloud services will enable businesses to better connect with each other locally and with global organizations. As part of the expanded partnership, Microsoft will serve up its cloud services – including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform – from the new data center region in Greece.
Microsoft said it offers more than 90 certifications and spends $1 billion every year on cybersecurity to address security at every layer of the cloud. Microsoft's data center region in Greece will also help companies comply with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements, and would also "help customers store data at rest."
Smith made the announcement at the New Acropolis Museum alongside Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece Prime Minister, and Theodosis Michalopoulos, General Manager of Microsoft Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
“Today’s commitment to the people and businesses of Greece will position the country among the digital leaders of Europe. A Microsoft data center region provides a competitive advantage to our digital economy. At the same time, it is a long-term investment and a vote of confidence in our country’s potential. The cloud is transforming every industry and sector. The investment in skilling 100,000 citizens will empower today and tomorrow’s Greek workforce,” said Mitsotakis, in a statement.
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With the Greece data center region, Microsoft's global footprint now totals 63 regions across the globe with Microsoft Azure in over 140 countries.