Microsoft to add new cloud regions in Italy, New Zealand and Poland

Microsoft announced this week plans for new cloud datacenter regions in three countries where it hasn't had them: Italy, New Zealand and Poland. Officials aren't sharing planned opening dates for any of them at this point, but with its cloud services hitting capacity constraints for the past several months, the new regions should help Microsoft provide promised additional capacity.

In the cases of Italy and Poland, Microsoft tied the opening of the new regions to larger, multi-billion, multi-year investment plans in the countries. The investment plans call for "digital skilling and smart-working programs," small-business acceleration and sustainability programs, and access to AI Hubs.

In Italy, Microsoft is building a new datacenter region in Milan, which will provide access to Azure, Microsoft 365/Office 365 and Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform set of tools. In Poland, Microsoft will provide the same set of services from its new cloud datacenter region there. And in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Microsoft's new datacenter region also will provide customers with Azure, Microsoft 365/Office 365 and Dynamics 365 and Power Platform tools once it is open.

After these three announcements, Microsoft now has 61 datacenter regions announced. Microsoft officials said during the company's recent Q3 FY20 earnings call to expect Microsoft to ramp up cloud infrastructure spending significantly in the coming quarter.