Google, Microsoft Escalate Data Center Battle

miller60 writes "The race by Microsoft and Google to build next-generation data centers is intensifying. On Thursday Microsoft announced a $550 million San Antonio project, only to have Google confirm plans for a $600 million site in North Carolina. It appears Google may just be getting started, as it is apparently planning two more enormous data centers in South Carolina, which may cost another $950 million. These 'Death Star' data centers are emerging as a key assets in the competitive struggle between Microsoft and Google, which have both scaled up their spending (as previously discussed on Slashdot). Some pundits, like PBS' Robert X. Cringley, say the scope and cost of these projects reflect the immense scale of Google's ambitions."

Re:Hmm... It's Slashdot so...

[Heembo]

old PC's running linus's finest.

You mean a stripped down google-specific proprietary version of Linux that none of us get to use?

Re:No they both need those data centers

[Shin Chan]

Sorry, what is MSN Live Search? There is no such thing as MSN Live Search. It's Windows Live Search.

Cryptonomicon...

[lastmachine]

...is a fantastic book about (among other things) establishing a massive data center (actually, an enclave in a barely fictional tiny rich country, perhaps the Bultanate of Srunei). And come on--it's Neal Stephenson! Well-written and informative, if you want to know more about the whys and wherefores of data centers, this is a great book.

Re:Data security nightmare

[zrenneh]

This "offsite word processing" crap is for chumps - anyone with sensitive data would be utter idiots to go there.

What about the people with non-sensitive data who want to do their word processing anywhere?
The collaboration features are also pretty cool...although for cool collaboration features check out SubEthaEdit [codingmonkeys.de]