Subj : Microsoft's next big cloud and AI investment is pouring billions
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Mon May 13 2024 11:45:05

Microsoft's next big cloud and AI investment is pouring billions of Euros 
into France

Date:
Mon, 13 May 2024 10:30:00 +0000

Description:
France expects to attract 15 billion in Choose France tech investments  
Microsofts alone accounts for more than a quarter.

FULL STORY
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Tech giant Microsoft has declared its intention to invest a massive 4 billion 
($4.3 billion) in France as part of the countrys Choose France initiative. 

Company VC and President Brad Smith confirmed the news in an exclusive 
interview with Le Figaro . 

Microsoft joins the likes of AWS, which has unveiled plans to invest 1.2 
billion ($1.3 billion) into the countrys AI scene , though Redmonds hefty 
investment represents more than one-quarter of the countrys anticipated 15 
billion ($16.3 billion) in investments coinciding with the event. Microsoft 
France investment 

The majority of the investment will be channeled into the blossoming 
artificial intelligence sector in the country, with plans to establish a 
leading data center in Mulhouse, near the countrys eastern border with 
Germany and Switzerland. 

Microsofts multibillion-dollar cash injection will run over the course of 
three years and will fund infrastructure, training for French citizens and 
support for the countrys AI startups. 

Over the course of the past couple of years, France has secured itself a 
position as the top choice for many artificial companies and startups thanks 
to its strong research foundations, government support initiatives and 
strategic location. 

French startup Mistral AI has already been supported by Microsoft, having 
received a 15 million ($16.2 million) investment as part of a partnership 
between the two firms. 

The companys sizeable investment, clearly appreciated by the countrys AI and 
cloud computing sector, isnt without an opposing view, though. 

Microsoft is under mounting pressure in France and the EU over its unfair 
business practices that have led it to snap up a significant share of the 
market. Frances own cloud companies formed part of a group of firms tackling 
Redmonds dominance. 

Besides this being a routine investment, just like a number of other major 
companies during the Choose France event, many are speculating whether 
Microsofts 4 billion sum could be an effort to pacify antitrust regulators. 
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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsofts-next-big-cloud-and-ai-investment-is-p
ouring-billions-of-euros-into-france


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