Microsoft Brings Azure Region to Luxembourg via Post Partnership
Microsoft has set up an Azure region in Luxembourg through a partnership with Post. This investment is 'the largest' made by Microsoft in the country since its establishment in 2003, according to Pierre-Adrien Grange, the company's country head in Luxembourg.
The project was launched over five years ago and demonstrates that Luxembourg is a strategic location for Microsoft. The partnership with Post has enabled the group to significantly reduce the time involved in finding a site, obtaining planning permission, connecting to the electricity grid, and constructing a new data centre.
Post has had to invest in upgrading its facilities to meet Microsoft's demanding specifications, particularly in terms of environmental standards. The Azure Extended Zone is not a full cloud region but a smaller-scale extension of Microsoft's infrastructure designed to bring virtual machines, storage, containers, and a selection of services closer to the customer.
The site will include a peering point, a direct link between Luxembourg and Microsoft's global network. This proximity does not mean that all a Microsoft customer's data will automatically remain in Luxembourg; the location depends on the services chosen and the configuration selected.