STOCKHOLM, Nov. 16, 2021 – Today, Microsoft Corp. announced the launch of its newest sustainable datacenter region in Sweden, with presence in Gävle, Sandviken and Staffanstorp. Microsoft’s new world-class datacenters in Sweden are open for business with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 available today, delivering advanced data security, privacy and the ability to store data in the country. The new datacenter region brings the best of Microsoft’s sustainability investments, powering the datacenter with 100% carbon-free energy and supporting zero-waste operations, underscoring Microsoft’s ongoing investment to help create new long-term opportunities across both commercial and public sectors in Sweden.
Critical to Microsoft’s approach is its continued investment in community development to support new economic opportunities in the regions in which it operates. To date, Microsoft’s community investments in Sweden total more than $1.6 million (U.S.), in partnership with 20 organizations to advance projects focused on workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship, digital skills and community inclusion.
Microsoft President Brad Smith recently met with customers and partners in Stockholm to discuss the vital role trust plays in ensuring the continued digital transformation of Sweden. “As Swedish industries and enterprises look to adopt and innovate on Microsoft’s platform, our datacenter investments build on our portfolio of products and services while meeting important data residency, security and compliance needs,” Smith said.
Meeting Sweden’s demand for secure, scalable and local cloud services
Businesses of all sizes and industries can now host their cloud workloads in Microsoft’s Swedish datacenters. Customers will benefit from Microsoft’s investment in the EU Data Boundary for the Microsoft Cloud, enabling customers to process and store their data in the EU. Customers can begin leveraging Microsoft Azure to develop advanced applications using AI, data and analytics, IoT and hybrid capabilities with advanced digital security and more, as well as Microsoft 365, the world’s productivity cloud that delivers best-of-breed productivity apps delivered seamlessly through cloud services. Dynamics 365 and Power Platform will be available within a year, enabling customers to build and manage critical enterprise business solutions at scale with intelligent business applications. The Sweden datacenter region will also deliver Azure Availability Zones, providing customers with additional application resiliency options.
Swedish customers across industries, including Combitech, Handelsbanken, PostNord and Sandvik Coromant are already using Microsoft’s cloud services. Handelsbanken, one of Sweden’s largest banks, is leveraging Microsoft cloud services to modernize critical business applications, rethinking how its workforce collaborates and serving as a pillar for Handelsbanken to achieve tangible sustainability impact by migrating from its own on-premises solution to Microsoft’s datacenter.
“The fact that Handelsbanken has been named Sweden’s most innovative major bank three years in a row means that we have succeeded with what means the most to us – namely, meeting the challenges and needs of our customers. We need to work closely with our partners, to create even more customer value during our ongoing transformation journey. The Microsoft cloud technology is a crucial part to Handelsbanken’s strategic focus in the areas of modernization of critical business applications and agile development cycles,” said Mattias Forsberg, CIO of Handelsbanken.
PostNord is a leading provider of parcel and logistics services to, from, and within the Nordic region, making everyday life easier. “The close partnership with Microsoft Sweden is an important part of our cloud strategy, we will work together to upskill our workforce to ensure we have the right digital competence to transform and to deliver. In addition, PostNord’s clear sustainability agenda aligns well with Microsoft’s. The opening of Microsoft datacenter region in Sweden show us that they are committed to the digital success of Sweden, an important factor for PostNord when selecting Microsoft as our strategic cloud provider,” said Jörgen Hellberg, CIO PostNord.
Microsoft’s Sweden partners, including Accenture & Avanade, Atea, Capgemini & Sogeti, EY and TietoEVRY, will support digital transformation across public and private sectors. “Atea welcomes more sustainable options to further accelerate digital development in Sweden. Many of our customers are dealing with specific data requirements, and additional options to choose from is a large step in the right direction. The launch of Microsoft’s new data center fits well with our mission to build Sweden with IT, together with our customers as well as our technological partners, says Linus Wallin, CEO Atea Sweden.”
“Companies are seeking new, creative ways to meet sustainability goals while serving the computing needs of their digital enterprise. Having Microsoft’s sustainable data centre in Sweden helps Accenture and our clients by expanding access to local resources, complementing the worldwide capabilities that cloud-first enterprises need. This helps companies tap into the Cloud Continuum’s dynamic array of capabilities—from the public cloud to the edge to everything in-between— while also reducing energy consumption and delivering greater efficiency at scale,” said Mattias Lewrén, country managing director and Accenture Sweden and Nordic Cloud First lead.
World-class, sustainable datacenters in Sweden
Microsoft’s Sweden datacenter region is committed to cutting carbon emissions, achieving zero waste certification, and running on 100% carbon-free energy. Microsoft’s Sweden datacenter region will be powered by 100% carbon-free energy with 24/7 hourly energy matching with partner Vattenfall. To support its operations, Microsoft has signed agreements for new renewable energy projects with bp, Enlight Renewable Energy, European Energy, NTR, Prime Capital and wpd. In addition, Sweden is Microsoft’s first datacenter region whose backup generators will run on Preem Evolution Diesel Plus, the world’s first Nordic Eco-labeled fuel, which contains at least 50% renewable raw material, and nearly an equivalent reduction in net carbon dioxide emissions compared with standard fossil diesel blends.
Microsoft is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the region, which will help conserve additional resources like energy and water, generate less waste and support human health. In addition, the new datacenter region will be home to Microsoft’s third European Circular Center, which repurposes servers and hardware in our datacenter. These centers are the first of their kind in the industry. The Swedish Circular Center will have the ability to support 12,000 servers per month. Supporting the company’s water positive by 2030 commitment, the datacenters’ servers will be cooled with only outside air 100% of the year, and rainwater will be captured at the datacenter, used primarily to provide humidification and to support onsite datacenter facilities.
“Our Swedish datacenters are among the most sustainably designed and operated in the world. This is an important launch for Sweden and Europe, as I am of the firm conviction that new tech innovation is the most important enabler for the world to reach the global sustainability targets. By moving to the cloud, we create new opportunities to accelerate the transformation to a more sustainable future – together,” said Hélène Barnekow, general manager Microsoft Sweden.
On December 8, Microsoft Sweden will host customers and partners in a Sustainable Business Transformation event. To learn more about the Microsoft cloud in Sweden, please visit the website: aka.ms/sverigekanmer