DATA CENTERS: the investments of Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Cisco and Digital Realty Company in Greece

Google – Data Centers

Through 2022, Google has strengthened its commitment in Greece to accelerate sustainable and inclusive development and digital transformation, further intensifying its substantial support to the country. With strategic initiatives, and with a focus on people, the technology company opened a new important chapter in Greece with the announcement of the creation of the first Google Cloud Region. A particularly important investment, which, according to AlphaBeta Economics, will contribute a total of $2,2 billion to the national GDP by 2030, while supporting the creation of more than 19,400 jobs. At the same time, he collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism and the World Council for Sustainable Tourism to promote sustainable tourism, wanting to help tourism businesses create a strategy for sustainability and effectively communicate their environmental actions. It also expanded its collaboration with Deloitte to create Centers of Excellence, in Thessaloniki and Patras, dedicated to sustainability and artificial intelligence, while Google.org funded INCO and Impact Hub Athens with a total of 1 million euros to support social businesses from underrepresented communities, which focus on sustainable solutions.

Microsoft – Data Centers

In 2022, Microsoft Hellas completed 30 years of uninterrupted operation in our country by further strengthening its activities, thereby opening up new prospects for digital development. In particular, the framework of its investment initiative “Gr for Growth”, succeeded in including its plan for the creation of three data centers, in the status of Strategic Investments. In this phase, the licensing of the Project is progressing, with the 1st Strategic Environmental Impact Study which has been put up for public consultation. Microsoft’s new infrastructures will accelerate the transition of the Greek public administration and the country’s businesses to the cloud and will create new possibilities for sustainable digital development. At the same time, the company continues to invest in the country’s people and talent, constantly empowering them with new digital knowledge. Aiming to offer 100.000 digital trainings and certifications by 2025, this year it made important partnerships with the aim of providing free training in modern digital skills for public administration officials, the unemployed seeking their reintegration into the labor market, professionals and new graduates. Finally, Microsoft continues, as it has pointed out, its effort to make Greek businesses even more competitive. In 2022, it entered into new strategic partnerships that facilitate the transition to the cloud of large enterprises, such as PPC and Piraeus Bank, and made available new customized solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, which receive a subsidy from the Recovery Fund to acquire digital tools and applications.

Amazon Web Services – Data Centers

The investment announced by Amazon Web Services to create a Local Zone in Athens is also in full swing, with Greece being among the first 26 countries outside the US where Local Zones will be created, creating extremely fast responses (latency) to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The project in Athens is expected to be completed within 2023. Local Zones are a type of AWS infrastructure that places computing power, data storage, databases, and other services closer to major urban, industrial, and technology centers. They allow AWS customers to develop applications that require very fast responses (latencies), below ten milliseconds, close to the end users. They thus ensure, as announced, a seamless experience for applications such as real-time gaming, multimedia and entertainment content creation, live video streaming, simulations, augmented and virtual reality applications, machine learning, etc. At the same time, since AWS manages and supports Local Zones itself, its customers do not bear the costs of building, operating, and maintaining corresponding infrastructure in different locations to support very fast applications. The new Local Zones will also enable companies in industries such as healthcare and financial services, as well as the wider public sector, to store and process data across borders. They can be used by customers who need to store their data locally and “run” specific applications in data centers on their premises, but at the same time wish to use AWS services and benefit from the very fast response times provided by Local Zones in such hybrid applications.

Cisco – Data Centers

In 2022, Cisco announced in collaboration with ONEX Neorion Shipyards and the South Aegean Region the creation of the second International Center to be established on Greek soil, this time in the Cyclades. This is the International Center for Marine Technology and Innovation, which has already been housed in an area of 600 sq.m. within the premises of the Neorio shipyard in Syros. The Aegean Neorion Innovation Center will provide a range of tool technologies to shipping companies to balance their economic and environmental sustainability, while in a specially designed training area students will be able to attend courses, providing them with the latest technology training tools, so that obtain the required certifications that will help them cope with the ever-changing work demands. At the same time, Cisco, through the global digital skills development program, the Cisco Networking Academy, NetAcad, which is the longest running program with more than 3 million graduates having found work, since 2005 until today, continues its presence in Greece , having already collaborated with the University of Thessaly, the University of Peloponnese, the University of Piraeus in the Department of Digital Systems and the University of Macedonia. A few days ago, he also announced the provision of free Digital Skills training courses in a number of Municipalities in the Greek territory. In this direction, Cisco, through the Talent bridge, has helped 33.000 students find work worldwide, from 2017 until today. 2022 marked for Cisco, the first year of operation of the International Center for Digital Transformation and Digital Skills in Thessaloniki. This Center was created within the framework of its investment program Country Digital Acceleration, CDA, which is implemented in 43 countries. It is a multi-disciplinary innovation hub that has so far hosted more than 15 projects, in which more than 200 people have worked, creating an ecosystem of people and businesses that is growing in the city. This ecosystem has recorded over 1,200 hours of training, hosted over 150 events and welcomed over 5.000 visitors. In addition, the signing of 17 cooperation agreements with a series of agencies also reflects the penetration into the institutional ecosystem.

Digital Realty Company – Data Centers

Digital Realty Company, one of the leading cloud and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection providers, announced last week that it is expanding its presence in Athens, through the Lamda Hellix it has acquired, with the development of two new data centers . The first facility, ATH3, is currently under construction and is scheduled to be operational by March 2023. Upon completion, it is expected to be the largest data center in the country, capable of supporting up to 6.8 MW of capacity within of the 8.600 sq m facilities. The second facility, ATH-4, is expected to add an additional 6.8 MW of power when operational, which is expected in 2024. As both ATH-3 and ATH have been announced -4 are to be connected to Lamda Hellix’s existing ATH-1 and ATH-2 facilities, offering customers access to dense and rapidly growing connected data communities established at these sites. Through PlatformDIGITAL®, Digital Realty’s global data center platform, clients will be able to connect with the businesses that matter most across Digital Realty’s global footprint of more than 300 data centers in 50 metros, across 27 countries in six continents. Combined with Digital Realty’s expanded presence in Crete, where a new data center is being developed in Heraklion, ATH-3 and ATH-4 are set to form part of Digital Realty’s broader vision to strengthen its presence in the Mediterranean region, as and Greece’s position as a key strategic gateway to Eastern Europe and North Africa.

(SOURCE: https://www.sofokleousin.gr/ )