Apple considers Taiwanese data centre
Fri 1 Jul 2016
Apple is planning on establishing a new data centre in western Taiwan, according to a report [Chinese] from local paper, United Daily News.
The paper suggests that the proposals for the new facility came about following an increase in traffic to iTunes and Apple TV services.
The publication claims that Apple had been considering Taiwan’s Changhua County as a potential location for its data centre base. Should the deal go through, the county’s government is expected to make a formal announcement next month.
While the Changhua County government did not confirm or deny the rumours when speaking to the state-owned Central News Agency [Chinese], it did comment that the area that Apple is thought to be looking at is prepared for investment and the construction of new centres.
Changhua has already been chosen by Google as the location for its $600 million (approx. £500 million) data centre. The facility, based on an industrial park, opened in December 2013 and uses a night-time cooling and thermal energy storage system. Google has claimed that this innovation allows it to reduce costs and cut its energy use by as much as 50%
Facebook also considered the area for a new regional facility last year. The social media giant had previously indicated interest in the Changhua region, commissioning a consulting company to assess six suitable locations in Taiwan. Facebook was said to be looking to purchase six acres (2.43 hectares) initially, expanding that to 20 acres over the coming years.
Taiwan is a popular choice for data centre expansion with a leading high-tech hub and a successful market for innovation and access to international capital. The country is keen to invest in reliable infrastructure to support its online economy. The government has made significant moves to create an accommodating regulatory environment, lowering barriers for startups and reducing restrictions on foreign labour.
