Microsoft Commits $2.2B Investment In Malaysia's Cloud And AI Services, Largest In 32 Years

Microsoft Corp MSFT has announced a $2.2 billion investment in Malaysia’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) services over the next four years.

What Happened: Microsoft’s investment is its largest in Malaysia in 32 years. The investment will be used to expand cloud and AI infrastructure, provide AI-skilling opportunities for 200,000 people, and support the country’s developers, Reuters reported.

"We want to make sure we have world-class infrastructure right here in the country so that every organization and start-up can benefit," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during a visit to Kuala Lumpur.

The investment will also involve collaboration with the Malaysian government to establish a national AI Centre of Excellence and enhance the country’s cybersecurity capabilities.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that the investment supports Malaysia’s efforts in developing its AI capabilities.

See Also: Cannabis Stocks React To DEA Rescheduling: Canopy & Aurora Surge, Tilray, WM Tech Hold Steady

Why It Matters: This investment comes as a part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to expand its AI support globally. Earlier in April, the company announced a $1.7 billion investment in Indonesia’s cloud services and AI over the next four years.

Nadella’s Southeast Asian tour included visits to Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, focused on AI-related plans in the region.

Malaysia has been gaining significance in the tech industry, particularly in the semiconductor sector, due to the U.S.-China tech war. The country’s expertise in the back end of the semiconductor manufacturing process has attracted major global players like Intel Corp and GlobalFoundries.

Read Next: Tesla CEO Elon Musk Is Impressed By The Fact That Jeff Bezos’ AWS 12-Month Revenue Is Higher Than 466 S&P 500 Companies: ‘Wow’

Image Via Shutterstock


Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote


The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.


Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: AsiaNewsGlobalMarketsTechartificial intelligenceCloud ServicesIndonesiaKaustubh BagalkoteMalaysiaThailand
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!