Microsoft to Invest a Substantial Sum in Japan's Cloud and AI Systems

Microsoft announced on Apr 9 its plan to invest US$2.9 billion over the next two years to enhance its cloud and AI infrastructure in Japan. This significant investment marks the largest commitment Microsoft has made in the 46 years since it began operating in Japan. The funding will also support the training of three million individuals in AI skills and the establishment of a Microsoft Research Asia lab in Tokyo.

This move reflects a broader trend among major tech companies to expand their global presence and support the advancement of artificial intelligence. With the growing demand for AI applications and workloads, server operators are expanding their data centers and cloud computing capabilities worldwide.

For instance, Amazon.com's cloud unit is investing US$10 billion in Mississippi and an additional US$5.3 billion in Saudi Arabia for data center infrastructure. Similarly, Google is investing US$1 billion in building a data center near London.

Microsoft's Azure, Google Cloud (a unit of Alphabet), and Amazon Web Services are currently the leading players in the global cloud computing market.