Microsoft kicked off 2020 with a big announcement regarding its new Israeli data center, which will run its Azure activity in the region. However, like many other things this past year, Microsoft changed its plans; updating that the launch of the new data center will come in 2022 instead of the proposed 2021 grand opening. Nevertheless, without any other major setbacks, Microsoft will be the first among the tech elite to establish a data center in Israel.

First Azure, then everything else

Microsoft noted that the Israeli Hyperscale Cloud Datacenter Region will launch early 2022, after announcing in January 2020 that the data center and Azure services would be available in Israel already this year.

Microsoft highlighted with the announcement that initially Azure services will be launched in Israel, with the following months opening up the tech giant’s suite of cloud products (Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft 365, and Power Platform) to the Israeli market.

All these services are currently available in Israel, but the fact that servers are located outside Israeli borders poses a major challenge for some companies. Israel houses more than a few organizations that are unable to tap into Amazon, Google, and Microsoft’s public cloud services, due to strict regulatory and security protocols. This problem should be solved with, the now postponed, opening of the data center.

“Israel is a hotbed for digital innovation and entrepreneurship, and cloud technology is playing a pivotal role in new and exciting opportunities for local organizations and communities,.. Cloud computing is at the heart of that, with customers’ data one of their strongest assets in leading to acceleration of their business, and the Israeli economy,” said Ronit Atad, General Manager, Microsoft Israel.

About three weeks ago, CTech reported that Microsoft and Oracle were out of the race in Project Nimbus - determining which cloud provider services Israel - with the big winners being Amazon and Google.