Google Inc., owner of the world’s most-popular search-engine, said it will invest more than $200 million building its first centers in Asia that house Internet data, accelerating plans to expand in the region.
The U.S. company has acquired land in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan to build data centers, it said in an emailed statement Wednesday. The facilities in Hong Kong and Taiwan will cost more than $100 million each, the statement said.
Google is building its first data centers in Asia as users in countries including China and India access the company’s services such as search, email and online maps. Google is also adding users in the region for its Android mobile-phone operating system, the main competitor to Apple Inc.’s wireless technology.
Google currently leases data centers in Asia to offer services in the region. The Mountain View, California-based company currently only operates self-owned data centers in U.S. states including Oklahoma and North Carolina, in addition to Finland and Belgium, according to its website. (Bloomberg)
