Microsoft Breaks Ground in San Antonio

Microsoft officially broke ground today on its 447,000 square foot data center in San Antonio. The software giant will invest $550 million in the project, which stands on 44 acres in the Westover Hills development. Armed with shovels, local dignitaries and Microsoft officials turned some dirt during a ceremonial event.

"It's massive. It looks like a small town being built here," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. The project is scheduled to be completed in Juy 2008, and is expected to create 75 jobs. The San Antonio center is the second major facility being built in the U.S. to support the expansion of Microsoft's Live line of online services, following the construction of a similar data center in Quincy, Washington. Microsoft's commitment was announced in January, and has been followed by the announcements of data center projects by the National Security Agency, Stream Realty and Christus Health Systems.