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Underwater data center deployed

Underwater data center deployed

Microsoft deployed a data center with 864 servers near Scotland’s Orkney islands, marking the second phase of its Project Natick initiative.

The 40-foot-long pod is powered by a cable connected to an onshore wind farm. In 2016, Microsoft first tested a prototype underwater data center off the coast of California.

With more than half of the world’s population living within 120 miles of the coast, the undersea facilities are designed to meet growing demand for cloud computing near population centers.