Microsoft has opened its first cloud region in New Zealand.
Officially launched today, December 12, the cloud region located in Aotearoa will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and use air cooling technology.
Microsoft first announced plans to develop a data center region in New Zealand in May 2020, receiving approval in September of that year. In 2022, the company revealed that the cloud region would be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, later signing a 51.4MW 10-year geothermal PPA with Contact Energy for the Te Huka 3 power station.
“We are a small but mighty nation of visionaries who have propelled our business innovation, incredible sports teams, and amazing entertainment into worldwide brands," says Vanessa Sorenson, managing director of Microsoft New Zealand. "So many New Zealand companies are going global, and having this infrastructure here in Aotearoa is going to help many more innovators to realize their ambitions and show the rest of the world how creative and talented we can be."
The new region will enable New Zealand customers to ensure data is stored, processed, and backed up within the country, and will also be protected by an intelligence network that has visibility of 78 trillion signals per day.
In the lead-up to the launch of the cloud region, several organizations pledged to be customers including the Warehouse Group, Whakarongorau Aotearoa, Fonterra, Auckland Transport, Te Tumu Paeroa, CCL, BNZ, ASB, PwC, and the Accident Compensation Corporation.
Ruth Russell, Kaitautari Pārongo Matua (CIO) for Te Tumu Paeroa, said: "We have a whakatauki (proverb): Aho roroa uaua hautū, aho popoto hautū marika – A kite with a short string is easier to control, and a kite with a long string is more difficult to control – but it benefits from the high wind. This agreement means we can have those high winds and the short string, enjoying the comfort and peace of having the data close, while being able to engage more easily with owners and support partners."
AWS is also developing a cloud region in New Zealand. Originally planned to be live this year, the project stalled and now has a launch date in 2025.
