Major cloud customers include the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense and Aston Martin
Microsoft has expanded its cloud offerings with the addition of Azure and Office 365 to data center locations in the United Kingdom. The rollout comes with major wins with major players including the U.K. Ministry of Defense.
The services are provisioned from data centers in London, Durham and Cardif.
Mark Skilton, a professor of practice in the Information Systems and Management Group at the Warwick Business School, said this move exemplifies the trend of “the large cloud computing providers setting up shop on local territory to provide better access and performance of their cloud products and services.”
He continued: “Large U.S. cloud companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have much to gain and potentially lose in navigating these legal issues, yet the adoption and scale of cloud computing by organisations means demand is growing exponentially. With no significant EU alternatives, U.K. companies continue to move to the cloud as shown by the [Ministry of Defense’s] need to modernise its IT through the adoption of on-demand cloud services.”
The Ministry of Defense has around 250,000 employees. “Microsoft’s secure and transparent cloud service in the U.K. fits perfectly with the MoD’s digital transformation agenda,” said Mike Stone, Chief Digital and Information Officer at the MoD. “This agreement, which is based on Microsoft’s world-class reliability and performance, will allow us to deliver cost-effective, modern and flexible information capabilities. It will ensure we are better-placed in our ever-changing, digital-first world.”
