Microsoft Azure: Microsoft launches local Azure zones in Australia

Microsoft this week that it will make a "significant extension of its global data center footprint to Western Australia (WA) to help meet the growing demand for cloud and AI services across the state and support economic growth." The expansion will see Microsoft deploy an Azure Extended Zone to Perth by mid-2025.

“The addition of these new capabilities in Western Australia builds on Microsoft’s strong history of delivering state-of-the-art technologies to the public and private sectors,” said Steven Worrall, managing director at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand. “This cutting-edge infrastructure will play a crucial role in enhancing the accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of essential services for Western Australians. It will also empower businesses in WA to innovate and grow, driving significant transformation across industries.”

Northern Star’s information technology manager, Stephen Johnston, said: “We are excited by the opportunities presented with Microsoft extending its Azure cloud capacity to Western Australia. This will enable us to host critical workloads providing high-performance, secure, scalable, and reliable services local to our head office in Perth and mine sites in Western Australia.”