Microsoft is investing $348 million in a data center expansion in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, in efforts to boost the company's online services, according to a report by a local Indiana newspaper.
It's hoped that the boost to the data center will assist with the company's software capabilities, computing capacity, and server utilization, helping the company roll out more reliable online services.
The Republic has reported that Virginia governor Bob McDonnell said the expansion will help create 30 new jobs. The publication also stated that the Governor's Opportunity Fund will provide a $200,000 grant to help the county with the project.
The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission--which aims to boost economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities in the region--will also contribute $2 million to the project.
According to The Next Web, Microsoft invested $499 million in the data center in 2010 when it was first built, and bolstered with another $150 million a year later.
A Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet: "This expansion will allow us to meet the growing demand from consumers and businesses for our cloud services in the region in an increasingly efficient manner."