Amazon Considering Billions in Investment for Italian Cloud Expansion
Amazon's cloud computing arm, AWS, is reportedly in discussions with Italy to invest billions of euros in expanding its data center business within the country. This move is part of Amazon's broader strategy to enhance its cloud offerings in Europe, according to four sources familiar with the matter. The discussions are ongoing, with talks focusing on the size and location of the investment. One source revealed that AWS is contemplating either expanding its existing site in Milan or constructing a new one. However, both AWS and representatives from Italy's digital transition department declined to comment, and a spokesperson for Italy's industry ministry was unavailable for comment. AWS initially launched its first cloud region in Italy in 2020, intending to invest 2 billion ($2.2 billion) by 2029. Among its customers in the country are luxury carmaker Ferrari and insurer Assicurazioni Generali. Recently, AWS announced a 15.7 billion investment in data centers in Spain's northeastern Aragon region, replacing a previous 10-year plan. However, the scale of investment in Italy may not match that of Spain, although it will still be in the billions. In Germany, AWS has planned a 7.8 billion investment through 2040. The company is also focusing on building infrastructure to provide cloud services to telecom customers, an area requiring significant resources. Its recent agreement with Telefonica Deutschland to migrate 1 million customers to AWS cloud exemplifies this strategy. Last year, AWS announced plans to store data on servers located in the European Union, aiming to enhance data privacy for government and customers in regulated industries. Analysts and industry executives note that many major corporate customers have resumed spending on cloud computing after a pause last year, driven by growing interest in artificial intelligence. Alphabet, which secured a significant deal in 2020 to provide cloud services to Italy's largest bank Intesa Sanpaolo, has invested 1 billion in Italy to establish the necessary cloud infrastructure. Similarly, Microsoft announced a year ago its plans to launch its first cloud region in Italy as part of a $1.5 billion investment initiative announced in 2020.