Google opens its first Africa cloud data centre – in Joburg

Google on Wednesday said it has completed its cloud data centre in Johannesburg, and the facility is ready for customer use.

The news comes 16 months after Google announced it was joining rivals Microsoft and Amazon Web Services in establishing a so-called cloud infrastructure “region” in South Africa.

“With the addition of the Johannesburg region, our network now totals 40 cloud regions and 121 zones, which together deliver Google Cloud services to over 200 countries and territories worldwide,” Google Cloud Africa director Niral Patel said in a statement.

“Like all Google Cloud regions, the Johannesburg region is connected to Google’s secure network, comprising a system of high-capacity fibre-optic cables under land and sea around the world. This includes the recently completed Equiano subsea cable system that connects Portugal with Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa and St Helena.”

Google said in September 2022 that it would build cloud interconnect sites, linked to Equiano, in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lagos and Nairobi. These interconnect sites would provide access to the company’s data centre infrastructure in South Africa.

The launch of the Johannesburg cloud region comes after rivals AWS and Microsoft both built cloud regions in South Africa. Amazon has a data centre campus in Cape Town, while Microsoft operates facilities in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Enterprise software giant Oracle has also invested in building cloud infrastructure in the country.

Read: Intel appoints outsider to lead its crucial data centre unit

Google said it will host a launch event in Johannesburg later this year to celebrate the opening of the cloud region and to “showcase the transformative potential it holds for businesses across the continent”.  – © 2024 NewsCentral Media

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