Microsoft to Google: My Data Center's Bigger Than Yours

According to a Monday report in Crain's Chicago Business, Microsoft next year will move into a gigantic $500 million data center in Northlake, a city about 15 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, although it's unclear whether the vendor will own or lease the building.

Reportedly as large as eight football fields, the data center is strategically situated near high speed fiber optic lines and abundant electrical supply, but will only employ about 75 workers, according to Crain's.

Microsoft on Tuesday announced plans to build its first major data center outside the U.S., a $500 million facility to be located in Grange Castle Business Park in the Dublin suburbs. The facility will employ about 20 people and will be used to host the servers for Microsoft's Windows Live services, according to company officials.

Microsoft has been on a data center construction binge lately as it tries to expand its Internet infrastructure footprint, both to keep pace with search rivals Google and Yahoo, and to move forward its vision for making its applications available as services. In April, Microsoft opened a 470,000 square foot data center in Quincy, Wash., and is in the process of building a similar facility in San Antonio.