Source: Fortune.com

Microsoft believes the best way to win more business in Africa is by building giant data centers there. The business technology giant said Thursday that it planned to open data centers in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa by 2018. By opening data centers in Africa, Microsoft will be able to more efficiently deliver its various services like Office 365 to users in the region. Some of Microsoft’s products it plans to deliver in Africa include its Azure cloud computing service, Office 365 business software, and Dynamics 365 database services, the company said. Microsoft said that by opening data centers in Africa, customers would be able to store their data locally, which could satisfy any regulations prohibiting companies from keeping that data outside the country.