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Google builds in Benelux
April 27, 2007
Google's capital spending spree is not, needless to say, limited to the U.S. The company operates dozens of data centers around the world, many in secret locations, and it is expanding overseas as aggressively as it is at home. Google already reportedly runs a big server farm in the the town of Groningen in the Netherlands, and yesterday it announced that it is expanding its Benelux footprint by building a new center in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium. An article in the Belgian paper Le Soir says the company will invest between 250 and 300 million euros in the facility. Construction is expected to begin at the start of the summer and be completed next year. Two of the attractions of the site, according to a Google executive, are the close proximity of a canal (a source of water for cooling servers) and the availability of a rich internet connection.
Le Soir, by the way, was one of the newspapers that sued Google for including its content in the Belgian version of Google News, leading a Belgian court to rule earlier this year that Google violated copyright laws. Clearly, Google doesn't hold a grudge against the country - at least not when it comes to infrastructure.
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Comments
A friend of mine actually works in the Groningen (the city) facility. At first, he couldn't say where he worked. Google is also setting up a facility in the neighbourhood, also in Groningen (the province).
Posted by: Rutger van Waveren ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.roughtype.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 27, 2007 04:31 PM
Hey Nick,
I know a coupla Russians who could shut down the Chinatronic website faster than Dick Cheney can say "Slam Dunk."
Say the word.
Posted by: Condo at May 1, 2007 12:37 AM
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