Large multinationals in the ICT sector are giving data centres a major boost, and Spain is gaining in importance with the creation of cloud regions that value its location as a bridge between Europe, America and Africa. This position is strengthened by the three new submarine cables that connect Spain to the United States, Latin America and North Africa.

Microsoft is among the latest companies to announce the construction of new data centres, “in response to the expected growth in demand for cloud services and solutions from Spanish firms and public administration”. Three towns in the Madrid Region, Algete, Meco and San Sebastián de los Reyes, will be home to the new infrastructure.

Promoting digitalisation
The facilities due to be built by the company pave the way for the creation of a new cloud region for the US multinational in Spain. As Alberto Granados, President of the Spanish subsidiary explains, “the upcoming availability of the new Microsoft cloud region, which will offer smart, secure cloud services and solutions, will promote the digitalisation of Spanish companies and public administration, and will contribute to revitalise the economy, as well as creating employment opportunities for people with specialised skills. The expansion plan we're already working on gives an idea of Microsoft's investment commitment in Spain and of our confidence in the growth of demand for cloud solutions among Spanish organisations."

According to an announcement made by the company at the end of May, the Google Cloud region in Madrid is already up and running. Aimed at “speeding up recovery and underpinning economic growth in Spain”, where businesses are increasingly demanding technological solutions, it has been developed in partnership with Telefónica to offer a fast, reliable and secure customer experience.

Submarine cable
The US multinational's interest is not only focused on infrastructure that supports the cloud. Their commitment to the Grace Hopper submarine cable, which has linked Bilbao to the United States via the United Kingdom since last September, has served to improve the network on which all of Google's infrastructure and products are based.

Meanwhile, IBM is making progress in setting up its own Spanish cloud region, as announced in September last year, and the Japanese group NTT has already established its first data centre in Spain. Located on a 12,516 square metre site in the Európolis Technology and Business Park in Las Rozas, it has 3,600 square metres of IT capacity and over six megawatts of power to guarantee the service. As the company explains on its website, “Madrid is the largest data centre in Spain and a gateway to the world”.

^{Photo: NTT}