INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Data Centres
Microsoft launches two new cloud
data centre regions in UAE
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Microsoft has launched new cloud
regions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that will
accelerate Digital Transformation to help
enable job creation, entrepreneurship
and economic growth across the Middle
East. Data residency in the UAE will help
enable government organisations and
enterprises to comply with in-country
regulatory frameworks and increase the
opportunities for cloud adoption.
M
icrosoft has launched two new
cloud data centre regions in the
United Arab Emirates. These new
regions – Microsoft’s first in the Middle East
– will empower customers and partners to
embrace the benefits of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution and achieve more.
The new cloud regions in Abu Dhabi
and Dubai join Microsoft’s global cloud
infrastructure – one of the largest and
most secure in the world – to provide
organisations, enterprises and developers
in the UAE with access to scalable, highly
available and resilient cloud services while
maintaining data residency, security and
compliance needs. The new UAE locations
will also deliver increased performance for
Microsoft Cloud services to Middle East
customers and partners.
“These new cloud regions in the UAE are
the dawn of a new era, driving Digital
Transformation, economic growth and job
creation,” said Sayed Hashish, Regional
General Manager, Microsoft Gulf. “We are
committed to empowering every person
and every organisation on the planet to
achieve more. Now, more customers in the
Middle East can move with confidence to the
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INTELLIGENTCIO
trusted and intelligent Microsoft Cloud. They
will be more competitive as they start their
Digital Transformation journeys – engaging
customers, empowering employees,
optimising operations, and reinventing
products and services.”
Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office 365
are currently available from the new cloud
regions in the UAE. Azure, an ever-expanding
set of cloud services, offers computing,
networking, databases, analytics, Artificial
Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT)
services to help organisations overcome their
business challenges.
Office 365 empowers customers to get
more done on any device, through cloud-
based productivity solutions providing email,
collaboration, conferencing, enterprise
social networking and business intelligence.
Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, offering
the next generation of intelligent business
applications and tools, are anticipated to be
available from the cloud regions in the UAE
by the end of 2019.
Microsoft provides expertise in data
protection, security and privacy as well as
the industry’s broadest set of compliance
certifications to help customers manage
compliance with supported industry
standards and regulations such as ISO
27001/27018, SSAE 18 SOC and GDPR.
Data residency in the UAE will help enable
government organisations and enterprises
to comply with in-country regulatory
frameworks and decrease the obstacles for
cloud adoption. This allows, for example,
public sector departments to revitalise their
service delivery with the ability to improve
data gathering, promote teamwork, portal
development and analytics.
Regional organisations of all sizes from across
all industries have placed their trust in the
Microsoft Cloud. These include the Emirates
Group, Emaar Properties, Majid Al Futtaim,
Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, Landmark Group,
Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM), Miral,
Daman Insurance, RAK Ceramics, Imdaad,
Gulf Air, Viva, Kuwait Finance House and Dubai
World Trade Center. Entities from sectors such
as government, aviation, financial services,
manufacturing and healthcare are among
those that are already benefiting from the new
cloud regions. These include Dubai Airports,
Etihad Airways, Mubadala Development
Company, Mashreq Bank, The First Group,
Network International and Shelf Drilling. n
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